Peo p 1 



e' 



^;(- 



v^ 




ble Dictionary 



RU, 






THE "I AM" OF JESUS. 



58 



"Before Abraham was, I am."— John 8. 

" I am the Light of the world."— John 
8. 12. 

" I am the Door." — John 10. 7. 

*' I am the Way, and the Truth, and the 
Life."— John 14. 6. 

♦' I am the living Bread." — John 6. 51. 

" I am the Bread of Life."— John 6. 35, 48. 

" I am the true Vine."— John 15. 1. 

"I am the good Shepherd."— John 10. 
11, 14. 

"I am the Resurrection and the Life." — 
John 11. ii5. 



" I am with you alway."— Mat. 28. 20. 

" I am with thee."— Acts 18. 10. | 

" There am 1 in the midst of them." — I 
Mat. 18. 20. ! 

'* 1 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning 
and the ending."— Rev. 1. 8. 

" 1 am the first and the last." — Rev. 1. IT. 

" I am from above." •' 1 am not of this 
world."— John 8. 23. 

*' I am he that liveth."— Rev. 1. 18. 

*' I am Jesus whom thou persecuteet." — 
Acts 9. 5. 

"J3e with rae where I am."— John 17. 
24. 



THE *' ME " OF JESUS. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



" Ye believe in God, believe also in Me." 
—John 14. 1. 

"All things are delivered unto Me." — 
Mat. 11. 27. 

" All power is given unto Me in heaven 
and in earth."— Mat 28. 18. 

" He that hath seen Me hath seen the 
Father."— John 14. 9. 

" Whosoever liveth and believeth on Me 
shall never die." — Tohnll, !2«. 

" He that bel: 
ing life."— Joh] 

"Come unto 
are heavy lader 

"Him that c 
wise cast out."- 

" He that cor 
ger." — John 6. 

"He that be 
thirst." — John 

"No man cor 
Me." — John 14. 

" In Me ye n 
33. 

" By Me if ar 
saved."— John 

" Follow Me. 
34; 10.21; Johi 

"Follow Me, 
ers of men."— Mai. o. la. 

'• He that followeth Me shall not walk 
in darkness."— John 8. 12. 

" They follow Me: and I give unto them 
eternal life."— John 10. 27, '/S. 

"Abide in Me and I in you." — John 
15.4. 



" He that abideth in Me and I in him." — 
John 15. 5, 7. 

" Apart from Me ye can do nothing." — 
John 15. 6. 

" As thou Father art in Me, and I in 
thee."— John 17. 21. 

*' He that eateth Me, he also shall live 
because of Me." — John 6. 57. 

" Suffer the little children to come unto 
Me."— Mark 10. 14. 

11.29. "Whoso- 
'— Mark 8. 34. 
o Me."— Mat. 25. 
k> Me."— Mat. 25. 



Shelf. 



ix:±.^..: 



^j_v 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



fe, let him follow 

1 

ji, receiveth Me." 

I or mother more 

[eis against Me." 

\>t with Me, scat- 

ishamed of Me." 

ill draw all men 

Afess Me before 

Acts 



?Tiiuouocir otiaii— w. 

men."— Mat. 10. 32. 

" Ye shall be witnesses unto Me 
1.8. 

"If a man love Me, he will keep my 
words." — John 14. 23. 

"To-day shalt thou be with Me in para- 
dise."— Luke 23. 43. 



BELIEVERS SAVED. 



" lie that believeth on me hath everlast- 
ing life." — John 6. 47. " I give unto them 
eternal life and they shall never'perish." 
—John 10. 28. " Because I live, ye shall 
live also."— John 14. 19; 11. 26. 

" He that believeth on the Son hath ev- 
erlasting life."— John 3, 16, 36. "And shall 
not come into condemnation; but is passed 
from death unto life."— John 5. 24. 

•' Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ is born of God "—1 John 5. 1. " Be- 
loved, now are we the sons of God."— 1 
John 3. 2. " We know that we have 
passed from death unto life." — 1 John 
3.14. 



" And this is the record, that God hath 
given to us eternal life." — " These things 
have I written unto you that believe on 
the name of the Son of God; that ye may 
know that ye have eternal life."— 1 John 
5. 10-13. 

" Giving thanks unto the Father, which 
hath made us meet to be partakers of the 
inheritance of the saints in light; who 
hath delivered us from the power of dark- 
ness, and hath translated us into the king- 
dom of his dear Son; in whom we have 
redemption through his blood, even the 
forgiveness of sins." — Col. 1. 12-^14. — Rom. 
8. 1, 38, 39; 5. 1. 



PEOPLE'S 



DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE 



DESCRIBING 



PERSONS, PLACES, COUNTRIES, CUSTOMS, BIRDS, ANIMALS, 

TREES, PLANTS, BOOKS, EVENTS, AND MANY 

OTHER THINGS IN HOLY SCRIPTURE. 



EDITED 

EDWIE" W. EIOE, D. D., 

Author of "People's Commentaries" on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, "Our Sixty- 
Six Sacred Books," etc., etc. 






PHILADELPHIA : 

THE AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, 

1122 Chestnut Street. 

New York: 8 and 10 Bible House. 

1893. 






Price, Single Copy, 25 cents; Postage, 8 cents. By the Mindred, 



[Copyright by The American Sunday-School Union, 1S93.] 



«^. 



PREFACE. 



This work has been prepared for the multitude who want a comprehensive, 
concise, handy Dictionary of the Bible for Twenty-five cents. 

Bulky, learned, expensive, denominational, controversial, and theological 
dictionaries are abundant. But Bible readers, lay missionaries, members of 
Christian Endeavor Societies, guilds, leagues. King's Daughters, Sunday-schools 
and other organizations helpful to the young are often at a loss in their labors, 
from the lack of an inexpensive Bible Dictionary fairly abreast of present 
Biblical Scholarship, and free from denominational bias, technical theological 
terms, unsound teachings, and lengthy discussions — a dictionary for handy and 
quick reference. 

This work is for them. 

Some Christian friends who felt the need of such a work, urged the Editor to 
prepare it, and generously provided the funds to pay the cost of its preparation 
and donated tbe plates to the American Sunday-School Union, so that this Dic- 
tionary might be sold at a price that would encourage a large distribution of it, 
and put it within the reach of all. 

The following principles have guided in the preparation of the work : 

1. To present the results of the best scholarly information in respect to 
persons, places, customs, and subjects mentioned in the Bible, in alphabetical 
order and in a simple and concise style. 

2. To define such words and topics only as are found in the English Bible, 
and to give an explanation of any peculiar use or meaning of them. 

3. To admit no name or word, about which nothing is known except the mere 
mention of it in the Bible. 

4. Carefully to exclude whatever would be regarded as sectarian or denomina- 
tional by auy body of Evangelical Christians. It is needless to add that this 
did not exclude any Bible terms. 

5. To give the pronunciation and meaning of names and titles. 
Special attention has been given to some marked fulfilments of prophecy. 
The Appendix contains a list of parables and miracles in the Bible, tables of 

time, weights, measures, distances, and moneys, a list of obsolete words found 
in the Authorized Version, and of the titles and names of Christ, a list of sta- 
tions in the Journeyings of Israel, and valuable Chronological tables. 

The Editor has made free use especially of the geographical articles which he 
contributed to Schaff's ** DJetionary^ of the Bible." Moreover, the standard 

(vii) 



Viii PREFACE. 

works of Ayre, Bastow, Cassell, Fairbairn, Fausset, Kitto and Smith, the latest 
Cyclopaedias, and the recent voluminous reports and works on Palestinian, 
Egyptian and Assyrian exploration, have all been drawn upon for material, 
to bring the information in this work up to date. 

The Eev. Edward K. Tullidge aided in gathering the material, and in fixing 
the proportionate length of the articles; Samuel B. Schiefifelin also prepared 
several of the articles ; Martin P. Rice, of the University of Pennsylvania, 
verified the references to Scripture, and the pronunciation of proper names; the 
Rev. Moseley H. Williams made valuable suggestions while the work was 
in prepai-ation ; Mr. William H. Hirst carefully read the proofs, and the 
entire material was thoroughly revised by the Editor, so that the latest and 
best results of sound Biblical knowledge might be included for the use of the 
ordinary reader. 

This is the seventh work in the " People's Series " of new, scholarly and 
handy helps for Bible study.* 

The Dictionary is sent forth in the Divine Master's name, with the earnest 
hope that it may be found useful to the millions of English-speaking peoples 
who love and accept the Holy Scriptures as the authoritative word of God. 

May, 1893. Edwin W. Rice. 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE. 



Explanations :— A. V.=Authorized "Version ; R. V.=.Revise(i Version; Sept.=Septua- 
gint, or Greek Version of the Old Testament ; a, as in far; a, as in care; i, as in tMre; 
e, as in term ; ii, as in pique; 6, as in /or ; do, as in Jood; 66, as va.J66t ; ic, as in fUrl; the 
other abbreviations are self-explanatory. 



Aaron (dr'on or d'ron). The name, if 
of Hebrew origin, means enlightened. Ac- 
cording to Jerome, it means mountain of 
strength. The son of Amram and Joche- 
bed, of the tribe of Levi. He was three 
years older than his brother Moses. Ex. 
6 : 20 ; 7:7. Aaron was noted for his elo- 
quence, and was ajjpointed by Jehovah 
to speak for Moses in the court of Pha- 
raoh. Ex. 4 : 14-16. He aided Moses in 
leading the Hebrews out of Egypt ; and was 
consecrated the first high priest of the 
Hebrew nation. Ex. 7 : 1-10 ; 28 : 1-43 ; Lev. 
8 : 1-36. He was a man of great devotion ; 
but, from want of firmness, he sometimes 
fell into grievous sins. While Moses was 
absent in Mount Sinai receiving the law, 
Aaron weakly yielded to the people's de- 
mand to have some image of a deity for 
them to worship. The image he made was 
a golden calf, after the form of the Egyptian 
Apis or Mnevis. Ex. 32 : 1-35 ; Ps. 106 : 19, 
20. Aaron joined Miriam, his sister, in se- 
dition against Moses, Num. 12 : 1-12, and, 
with Moses, neglected to acknowledge the 
power of God at Kadesh. For this sin he 
was denied the privilege of entering the 
promised land. Num. 20 : 12-24. While the 
Hebrews were encamped at Moserah, in the 
fortieth year after leaving Egypt, Aaron, at 
the divine command, ascended Mount Hor 
and died, at the age of 123 years. Num. 
20 : 25-29 ; Deut. 10 : 6. The sons and de- 
scendants of Aaron served as priests at the 
sanctuary ; while the other famihes of the 
tribe of Levi performed those religious 
duties which were of an inferior kind. 
Num. 4 ; 15, 16, 24. Aaron is called the 
"saint of the Lord" with reference to his 
official character, Ps. 106 : 16, but, as the 
most superficial study of his Ufe shows, he 
had many faults. Yet the people loved 
him, and the mourning over his death, 
which lasted 30 days, Num. 20 : 28, was 
sincere. One of the fasts of later Judaism 
was held in his memory, on the first day of 
the fifth month, Ab, our July or August. 

Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of 
Amminadab, probably a prince of the 
tribe of Judah, and had four sons, Nadab, 
Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Ex. 6 : 23; 
Num. 1 : 7. The Jewish priesthood began 
in the family of Aaron and remained in its 
possession, though not uninterruptedly, in 
the line of Eleazar ; it passed into the fam- 
ily of Ithamar, the brother of Eleazar, in 
the person of Eli ; but, in consequence of 
the wickedness of Eli's sons, God declared 
that it should be taken from his family, 1 
Sara. 2 : 30, and this prophecy was fulfilled 
In the time of Solomon, who took the 
priesthood from Abiathar and restored it to 
Zadok, of the line of Eleazar. 1 Kings 2 : 27. 



Aaronites {dr'on-Ues or afronAles). 1 
Chron. 12 : 27. Levites of the family of 
Aaron: the priests who served the sanc- 
tuary. Eleazar, Aaron's son, was their 
chief. Num. 4 : 16. 

Abaddon, or ApoUyon {a-hiXd'dQn or 
a-p6l'ydn). The former name is Hebrew and 
the latter Greek, and both signify the 
destroyer. Job 31 : 12 ; Rev. 9 : 11. He is 
the same as the "angel of the abyss," that 
is, the angel of death, or the destroying 
angel. Ps. 78 : 49. Abaddon frequently 
occurs in the Hebrew, and is translated 
"destruction," meaning often the world 
of the dead. Job 26 : 6 ; 28 : 22 ; Ps. 88 : 11 ; 
Prov. 15 : 11. 

Abana {db'a-nah or a-bd'nah), stony. The 
Hebrew and Enghsh marginal reading is 
"Amanah," meaning "perennial;" this 
may be the correct lorm. It is the same 
as the Greek "Chrysorrhoas," or "golden 
river," and the modern " Barada," meaning 
" cold." A river of Damascus, one of those 
which Naaman, in his pride, preferred to 
the waters of Israel. 2 Kings 5:12. It rises 
in the beautiful plain of Zebedany, issuing 
from a httle lake, and receiving in "its course 
the waters of two or three fountains. Quit- 
ting this plain, the river dashes over a cUflf, 
30 feet high, runs through a magnificent 
ravine, and is afterwards joined by the 
stream from 'Ain Fijeh, one of the largest 
springs in Syria. Having emerged from the 
mountains into the plains of Damascus, it 
flows through orchards and meadows till 
it enters the city, and passing through it, 
falls finally into a marshy lake, 15 or 20 
miles below. At its rise the river is 3343 feet 
above the sea, and 1149 above Damascus, 
which is distant from the source about 22 
miles. The Abana waters about 800 square 
miles of territory, and it is calculated that 
14 villages and 150,000 souls depend on it 
for their water supply. Damascus is thus 
made, though on the edge of a desert, one of 
the loveUest spots in the world. The streams 
of Israel, on the other hand, with the excep- 
tion of the Jordan, are nearly dry the g^-eater 
part of the year, and, running in deep and 
rocky channels, give but partial fertihty to 
the land through which they flow. This 
may well account for the question of Naa- 
man the Syrian: "Are not Abana and 
Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than 
all the waters of Israel 2" 2 Kings 5 : 12. 

Abarim (dt/a-rlm or a-bd'rim), mountains 
beyond, or of the fords, a range of mountains 
east of the river Jordan, in the land of 
Moab, opposite Jericho. Num. 27 : 12 ; 33 : 
47 ; Deut. 32 : 49. Nebo, Peor, and Pisgah 
belong to this range. In Jer. 22 : 20 the 
word is translated " passages " in the Au- 
thorized Version, but the Revised Version 
reads Abarim. 

Jje-abarim in Num. 21 : 11 means heaps 





ABBA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ABIATHAR 



or ruins of Abarim, and was near the same 
range. 

Abba (db'bah), a Chaldee word signifjr'ing 
fatfier (Hebrew ab), easily pronounced by 
infant children, and expressing the pecu- 
har tenderness, familiarity, and confidence 
of the love between parent and child. 
Mark 14 : 36 ; Eom. 8 : 15 ; Gal. 4 : 6. Luther 
translated Abba, Pater, "Abba, dear Fa- 
ther." 

Abdon {ub'ddn), servile. 1. A Levitical 
city in Asher. Josh. 21 : 30 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 74. 

2. The tenth judge of Israel, Judg. 12 : 13, 15, 
probably the same as Bedan, 1 Sam. 12 : 11, 
son of Hillel, of the tribe of Ephraim. He 
succeeded Elon, and judged Israel eight 
years. His rule was a peaceful one, as no 
oppression of Israel dunng his time is men- 
tioned. The record that he had 40 sons and 
30 nephews (or rather grandsons) who rode 
on young asses, Implies their high dignity 
and consequence : comp. Judg. 6 : 9, 10. 

3. Also two Benjamites. 1 Chron. 8 : 23, 30 ; 
9 : 36. 4. A son of Micah. 2 Chron. 34 : 20. 
See Aclibor. 

Abednego {a-bed'ne-go), servant ofNego or 
Nebo, a Chaldee name given to Azariah, one 
of the three captive young princes of Judah, 
who were Daniel's companions at the court 
of the king of Babylon. Dan. 1 : 7. Their 
virtue, wisdom, and piety secured their pro- 
motion at court, Dan. 1 : 3-19 ; 2 : 17-49 ; and 
their firmness in witnessing for God among 
idolaters, with their dehverance from the 
fiery furnace by Jehovah, led many to ac- 
knowledge the true God, and rendered 
these pious vouths forever illustrious, Dan. 
3; Heb. 11:34. 

Abel {ci'bd), vapor, Gen. 4:2, was the 
second son of Adam and Eve, so called 
perhaps from the shortness of his hfe, as he 
was murdered by Cain. Hence to Eve 
the life of Abel "seemed but "a vapour, 
that appeareth for a httle time, and then 
vanisheth away." Jas. 4 : 14. Abel was 
occupied as a keeper or feeder of sheep; 
and in process of time brought of the 
firstlings, or first-fruits of his flock, an offer- 
ing unto the Lord= It is supposed that 
besides a thank-offering, Abel brought a 
sin-offering, and thus showed his sense of 
sin, as well as his faith in a promised Sa- 
viour. He did it by faith, Heb. 11 : 4, 
founded no doubt upon some revelation 
from God. His offering was a type of Christ, 
the " Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world." Rev. 13 : 8 ; 5 : 6, 12 ; 1:5: John 
1 : 29. " The Lord had respect unto Abel 
and his offering," Gen. 4 :4, and accepted 
it. Heb. 11 :4.' Not so with Cain. Either 
his sacrifice, or the manner of presenting it, 
was offensive to God, and the offering was 
rejected. 1 John 3 : 12. Cain was angry, 
and filled with envy, and when he and hjs 
brother were in the'field together, he took 
his brother's Ufe. Gen. 4 : 3-8. Our Saviour 
distinguishes Abel by the title righieo-iis, 
Matt. 23 : 35. He is abo one of the faithful 
"elders" menrioned in the epistle to the 
Hebrews, ch. 11 : 4, and is justly called the 
first martyr. 

Abel, ineadoiv, grassy plain, as below. A 
name prefixed to several places. Instead 

10 



of " the great stone of Abel," in 1 Sam. 6 : 18, 
the Septuagint, and Chaldee versions, and 
some Hebrew manuscripts, read "the great 
stone ; " as in the margin, and the 14th and 
loth verses. Most hkely this " great stone " 
was a boundarj' mark, or an ancient mon- 
ument, in Bethshemesh, on the confines of 
Judah, Dan, and Philistia. 

Abel - betli - Maacliah [d'bel-bUh-ma'a- 
kah), meadow of the house of oppression, 2 
Kings 15 : 29, a town in the north of Pales- 
tine near Csesarea-Philippi. It was at- 
tacked by Joab, 2 Sam. 20 : 14, 15 ; bv Ben- 
hadad, 1 Kings 15 : 20 ; and by Tiglath-Pi- 
leser, 2 Kings 15 : 29. 

Abel -Maim {d'bel-may'im), meadow of 
waters. 2 Chron. 16 : 4. Another name for 
Abel-beth-Maachah. 

Abel-3Ieholah {d'bd-me-ho'Iah), meadow 
of the dance. Judg. 7 : 22. A town in the 
plain of Jordan, distinguished as the home 
of Ehsha. 1 Kings 4 : 12 ; 19 : 16. 

A\iel-'Mi2ra.im{d'bd-m^-ray"im), meadow 
of Egypt. Gen. 50 : 10, 11. The place where 
Joseph and his company halted^ seven days 
in passing from Egypt to Canaan to bury 
Jacob. It was " beyond " — that is, west of, 
the Jordan, as the writer was on the east 
side. Some think it was near Hebron. 

Abel-Shittim, orShittim {d'bel-shlt-tim), 
meadow of the acacias. Kum. 33 : 49 ; 25 : 1. 
A town six or seven miles distant from the 
east bank of the Jordan, opposite to Jericho. 
It was the last encampment of the Israel- 
ites on that side of the river. It was at this 
place that the Israehtes fell into the ^oss- 
est idolatrj^ for which they were visited 
with a desolating plague which destroved 
24,000 people. Num. 25 : 1 ; Micah 6 : 5. The 
spies whom Joshua sent to Jericho went 
from Shittim. Josh. 2:1. 

Abi (a'bi), father, progenitor, mother of 
King Hezeliiah, 2 Kings 18 : 2 ; written 
Abigah in 2 Chron. 29 : 1. 

Abia, Abiali, or Abijali {a-Wah or 
d-bVjah), whose father is Jehovah. 1. Son 
of Becher, the son of Benjamin. 1 Chron. 
7:8. 2. Wife of Hezrou. 1 Chron. 2 : 24. 3. 
Second son of Samuel. 1 Sam. 8:2. 4. The 
son of Rehoboam. 1 Chron. 3 : 10 ; Matt. 1 : 7. 
See Abyah, 2. 5. Mother of King Heze- 
kiah. Abi. 6. Same as Abyah, 3. 

Abia, coui'se of. Luke 1:5. In 1 
Chron. 24 we have an account of the 
division of the priests into twenty-four 
classes, courses, or orders, who ministered 
at the altar in rotation. The courses were 
distinguished by the name of the most 
prominent meraber of the family from 
which the course was taken. The eighth 
of these courses fell to the familv of Abia 
or Abijah ; and to this course belonged 
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. 

Abiathar {a-bi'a-thar), father of abun- 
dance, i. e., liberal. Tenth high priest and 
descendant of Levi through Eu. Abiathar 
was the only one of all the sons of Ahim- 
elech the high priest who escaped the 
slaughter inflicted upon his father's house 
by Saul, in revenge for his ha\ing inc^uired 
of the Lord for David and given him the 
shewbread to eat. 1 Sam. 22 : 21-23. Abi- 
athar having become high priest fled to 



ABIB 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ABIMELECH 



David, and was thus enabled to inquire of 
the Lord for him. 1 Sam. 23 : 9 ; 30 : 7 ; 2 
Sam. 2:1; 6 : 19, etc. He adhered to Da- 
vid in his wanderings while pursued by 
Saul; he was with him while he reigned 
in Hebron, and afterwards in Jerusalem. 

2 Sam. 2:1-3. He continued faithful to 
him in Absalom's rebellion. 2 Sam. 15 : 24, 
29, 35, 36 ; 17 : 15-17 ; 19 : 11. When, how- 
ever, Adonijah set himself up for David's 
successor on the throne, in opposition to 
Solomon, Abiathar sided with him, while 
Zadok was on Solomon's side. For this 
Abiathar was deprived of the high priest- 
hood. Zadok had joined David at Hebron, 
1 Chron. 12 : 28, so that there were hence- 
forth two high priests in the reign of David, 
and till the deposition of Abiathar by Solo- 
mon, when Zadok became the sole high 
priest, thus fulfilling the prophecy of 1 Sam. 
2 : 30. Ahimelech, or Abimelech, son of 
Abiathar, is substituted for Abiathar, son of 
Ahimelech. 2 Sam. 8 : 17 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 16 ; 
24 : 3, 6, 31. The Lord Jesus, Mark 2 : 26, 
names Abiathar as the high priest in whose 
time David ate the shewbread. Probably 
the sense is: "In the days of Abiathar, 
who was afterwards high priest," and under 
whom the record of the fact would be made. 
Perhaps too the loaves, being his perquisite, 
Lev. 24 : 9, were actually handed by Abi- 
athar to David. Both father and son, more- 
over, it seems from the quotations above, 
bore both names, and were indifferently 
called by either. 

Abib {d'bib), budding, Ex. 13 : 4. See 
Month. 

Abiezer {d-M-e'zer), the father of help. 
Eldest son of Gilead, and descendant of 
Manasseh, Josh. 17 : 2 ; 1 Chron. 7 : 18 ; Num. 
26 : 80, where the name is given in the con- 
tracted form Jeezer. He was the ancestor 
of the gfeat judge Gideon. 2. A native of 
Anathoth. 2 Sam. 23 : 27. The name also 
occurs in Judg. 6 : 34 ; 8:2; and in an ad- 
jectival form, "the Abiezrite," in Judg. 6 : 
11, 24 ; 8 : 32. 

Abigail {ab'i-gdil or gSl), father, i. e., 
source, of joy. 1. The beautiful wife of 
Nabal, a wealthy owner of goats and sheep 
in Carmel. When David's messengers were 
slighted by Nabal, Abigail supplied David 
and his followers with provisions, and suc- 
ceeded in appeasing his anger. Ten days 
after this Nabal died, and David sent for 
Abigail and made her his wife. 1 Sam. 25 : 
14, etc. By her he had a son, called Chi- 
leab in 2 Sam. 3 : 3, but Daniel in 1 Chron. 

3 : 1. 2. A sister of David, married to Je- 
ther the Ishmaelite, and mother, by him, of 
Amasa. 1 Chron. 2 : 17. In 2 Sam. 17 : 25, 
for Israelite read Ishmaelite. 

Abihu (a-bi'hew), whose father is He, i.e., 
God. One of the sons of Aaron, who, to- 
gether with his brothers, Nadab, Eleazar, 
and Ithamar, were set apart by God to the 
office of the priesthood. Soon after they 
entered upon their sacred duties, Nadab 
and Abihu were guilty of a violation of 
God's commands, respecting the manner of 
offering incense, and they were suddenly 
destroyed by fire from heaven. They used 
strange, or eommon, fire, instead of the 



sacred fire which they were required to use 
from the altar of burnt offering. Lev. 10 : 
1, 2. As the prohibition of wine and strong 
drink, especially when entering into the 
sanctuary, immediately follows, we may in- 
fer that Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated 
when they fell into this presumptuous sin. 
Abijah {a-bVjah), whose father is Jehovah. 

1. A son of Jeroboam I., king of Israel, who 
died under interesting circumstances in 
early life. 1 Kings 14 : 1. See Jeroboam. 

2. Abijah or Abijam, 2 Chron. 13 : 1, the son 
of Renoboam and Michaiah, succeeded his 
father as king of Judah, b. c. 959. He made 
war against Jeroboam, king of Israel, for 
the purpose of getting back the kingship of 
the ten tribes, and defeated him, with a 
loss of 500,000 men. These figures are prob- 
ably through a copyist's mistake made too 
large ; the loss, it is Ukely, was not greater 
than 50,000. He began to reign in the 
eighteenth year of Jeroboam, and was suc- 
ceeded by lus son Asa in the twentieth year 
of Jeroboam, so that he reigned only a part 
of three years. The apparent contradiction 
in respect to the parentage of this person, 
as it is given in 1 Kings 15 : 2 and 2 Chron. 13 : 
2, may be explained by supposing that his 
mother Maachah (or Michaiah) was the 
daughter of Uriel and the granadaughter 
of Absalom, who is called Abishalom. 1 
Kings 16 : 2. The term " daughter " is given 
in the Bible to other relatives than one's 
own child ; e. a., to a niece, granddaughter, 
or great-granddaughter. 3. The head of 
one of the courses of priests, 1 Chron. 24 : 10 ; 
Neh. 12 : 17 ; termed Abia in Luke 1:5. 4. 
The mother of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 29 : 1 ; 
also called Abi in 2 Kings 18 : 2. 5. One of 
the priests who " sealed the covenant ; " i. e., 
appended their seaLs unto it to signify that 
they were parties to it. Neh. 10 : 7. 6. A 

griest who returned with Zerubbabel from 
abylon. Neh. 12 : 4, 17. 

Abijam {a-W jam), father of the sea, i. e, a 
maritime person. 1 Kings 15 : 1, 7, 8. See 
Abijah (2). 

Abilene {db'i-le'ne), from Abila, a small 
district of Palestine on the eastern slopes of 
Anti-Libanus, of which Abila on the river 
Barada was the capital. It was governed 
by Lysanias in the time of John the Baptist. 
Luke 3 : 1. 

Abimelech (a-b'tm'e-lek), father of the king, 
or royal father. This seems to have been 
the common title of several of the Philistine 
kings. 1. A king of Gerar, and contem- 

gorary with Abraham, who took Sarah into 
is harem, and thought to make her his 
wife ; but being warned of God in a dream 
of Sarah's relationship to Abraham, that 
she was not his sister, but his wife, he re- 
stored her to her husband, with a present of 
a thousand pieces of silver, as " a covering 
of the eyes" for Sarah; that is, as an 
atoning present, and to be a testimony of 
her innocence in the eyes of all. Gen. 20 : 
1-18. 2. Another king of Gerar, probably 
son of the former, who rebuked Isaac for 
his dissimulation, in calling his wife his 
sister, and afterwards made a league with 
him at Beersheba. Gen. 26 : 6, 81. 3. A son 
of Gideon, by his concubine, who, after the 

U 



ABINADAB 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ABOMINABLE 



death of his father, persuaded the men of 
Shechem to make him king. He slew his 
father's 70 sons on one stone, leaving only 
Jotham, the youngest, alive, who hid him- 
self. Three years afterwards the men of 
Shechem rose against Abimelech ; he de- 
feated them and destroyed their city, and 
sowed it with salt. While attacking Thebez, 
he was mortally wounded by a piece of a 
millstone thrown upon his head by a woman 
from -the top of the tower. That it might 
not be said, " a woman slew him," he called 
to his armor-bearer to thrust him through 
with his sword, and thus he died. This was 
the first attempt to establish a monarchy in 
Israel. Judg. 9 : 5, 54. 4. The name given 
in the title of Ps. 34 to Achish, king of Gath. 
5. The name of "Ahlmelech" is thus writ- 
ten in 1 Chron. 18 : 16, 

Abinadal) {a-bln'a-ddb), father of noble- 
ness, i.e., noble. 1.1 Sam. 16:8. One of the 
eight sons of Jesse, and one of the three of 
his sons who followed Saul in battle. 2. 1 
Sam. 31 : 2. One of Saul's sons who was slain 
at the battle of Gilboa. 3. 1 Sam. 7 : 1 and 
1 Chron. 13 : 7. A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, 
with whom the ark of the Lord was depos- 
ited when it was brought back from the 
Philistines. 4. 1 Kings 4 : 11. One of the 
twelve oflRcers appointed by Solomon to 
provide alternately, month by month, food 
for the king and his household. 

Abiram {a-bl'ram), father of height, i. e., 
renowned. 1. Niun. 16 : 1. One of the sons 
of Eliab, the Reubenite, who were de- 
stroyed with Korah for a conspiracy against 
Moses. See Korah. 2. 1 Kings 16 : 34. The 
first-bom of Hiel, the BetheUte. 

Abishag {cib'i-shdg^ or a-bV shag), father of 
error, a beautiful virgin of Shunem, in 
Issachar, chosen to cherish David in his old 
age. After his death, Adonijah sought her 
hand to promote his treasonable schemes, 
and was punished by death. 1 Kings 1 : 2. 

Abishai (a-btsh'a-i or a-bl-shd'i), father of 
a gift, eldest son of Zeruiah, David's sister, 
brother of Joab and Asahel, one of the 
bravest of David's "mighty men," 1 Chron. 
2 : 16, always faithful to his royal uncle, and 
usually a personal attendant. He went 
with him alone to the tent of Saul, 1 Sam. 
26 : 5-12, and was a leader in the war with 
Ish-bosheth, 2 Sam. 2 : 18, 24, in the war with 
the Edomites, 1 Chron. 18 : 12, 13, and with 
the S5nians and Ammonites. 2 Sam. 10 : 10, 
14. In a battle with the Philistines he 
rescued David, and slew Ishbi-benob the 
giant, 2 Sam. 21 : 16, 17. He broke through 
their host around Bethlehem, and lifted up 
his spear against 300, and slew them, 2 Sam. 
23 : 14-18 ; and was with David in the mat- 
ters of Shimei, Absalom, and Sheba. 2 Sam. 
16 : 9 ; 18 : 2 ; 19 : 21 ; 20 : 6, 7 . 

Abishua {a-bish'u-ah or db'i-shu' ah), father 
of welfare. 1. The son of Phineas, the high 
priest. 1 Chron. 6 : 4, 5, 50 ; Ezra 7:5. 2. The 
son of Bela. 1 Chron. 8 : 4. 

Ahner {dl/ner), father of light. 1. Son of 
Ner, who was the brother of Kish, 1 Chron. 
9 : 36, the father of Saul. (b. c. 1063.) Ab- 
ner, therefore, was Saul's first cousin, and 
was made by him commander-in-chief of 
his army. 1 Sam. 14 : 51 ; 17 : 57 ; 26 : 5-14. 
12 



After the death of Saul David was pro- 
claimed king of Judah ; and some tmie 
subsequently Abner proclaimed Ish-bosh- 
eth, Saul's son, king of Israel. War soon 
broke out between the two rival kings, and 
a " very sore battle " was fought at Gibeon 
between the men of Israel under Abner 
and the men of Judah under Joab. 1 Sam. 
2 : 15-32. In this engagement he killed, in 
self-defence, Asahel, the brother of Joab and 
Abishai. Perhaps he now had some idea 
of seizing the Israehtish throne for himself; 
for he appropriated a woman of Saul's 
harem, which Ish-bosheth interpreted as 
an overt act of rebelhon. Abner, incensed 
at his ingratitude, opened negotiations with 
David, by whom he was most favorably 
received at Hebron. He then undertook to 
procure David's recognition throughout 
Israel ; but after leaving his presence for 
the purpose was enticed back by Joab, and 
treacherously murdered by him and his 
brother Abishai, at the gate of the city, 
ostensibly in retahation for the death of 
Asahel; really, we may suppose, through 
jealousy, as he would have at least rivalled 
Joab in position. David, though unable to 
punish the powerful brothers, solemnized 
Abner's funeral with great respect and gen- 
eral mourning, and poured forth a simple 
dirge over the slain hero. 2 Sam. 3 : 33, 34. 
2. The father of Jaasiel, chief of the Benja- 
mitesin David's reign, 1 Chron. 27 : 21 ; prob- 
ably the same as the preceding. 

Abominable, Abominatton. 1. An 
abomination, or an abominable thing, is a 
thing hateful or detestable, as the employ- 
ment or calhng of shepherds was to the 
Egyptians. Gen. 46 : 34. 2. Under the Mo- 
saic law those animals and acts are called 
abominable the use or doing of which was 
prohibited. Lev. 11 : 13 and Dent. 23 : 18. 3. 
Idolatry of every kind is especially denoted 
by this term. Jer. 44 : 4 and 2 Kings 23 : 13. 
4. So of sins in general. Isa. 66 : 3. The 
Abomination of Desolation, hterally tJie 
abomination of the desolator. This was Dan- 
iel's prediction of the pollution of the tem- 
ple at Jerusalem, by Antiochus Epiphanes, 
who set up in it the altar and the statue of 
Jupiter Olympus ; the daily sacrifice was 
taken away, and the abomination that 
maketh desolate drove all the true worship- 
pers of God from the temple. Dan. 11 : 31 ; 
12 : 11. But the prophecy had, to say the 
least, a further reference. For our Lord 
appeals to it, Matt. 24 : 15-18 ; Mark 13 : 14- 
16, and declares that its fulfillment was to 
be the warning for his disciples to flee from 
the doomed city. This would be simulta- 
neous with the investment of Jerusalem. 
Luke 21 : 20, 21. Some have beheved the 
investment (when Cestius Gallus first en- 
camped around Jerusalem, 66 a. d., and 
then withdrew) the abomination of desola- 
tion itself; the Roman standards (objects 
of worship to the soldiers) being then 
planted on holy ground. But these stan- 
dards had been there before ; and so it is 
more Ukely that the abominable thing was 
something done by the Jews themselves. 
Now Josephus mentions a profanation by 
the Zealots who had got possession of the 



ABRAM 



OF THE BIBLR 



ABRAM 



temple ; and to this or some similar deed 
our Lord, we may suppose, referred. The 
Christians, it may be added, took the warn- 
ing, the opportunity being afforded by the 
retirement of Gallus, and fled to Pella. 

Abram {d'bram), high father, afterwards 
named Abraham {d'bra-ham), father of a 
multitude, Gen. 17 : 4, 5, the great founder 
of the Jewish nation, as well as of the 
Ishmaelites and other Arabian tribes. Gen. 
25. He was a son of Terah, a descendant 
of Shem, and a brother of Nahor and Haran, 
and was bom in Ur, a city of Chaldea. 
Gen. 11 : 27, 28. Here he Uved 70 years, 
when at the call of God he left his idola- 
trous kindred. Josh. 24 : 2, 14, and removed 
to Haran, in Mesopotamia, Acts 7 : 2-4, ac- 
companied by his father, his wife Sarai, his 
brother Nahor, and his nephew Lot. Here, 
a few years after, Terah died. Abram's 
proper history now begins. He was com- 
manded to go into Canaan, receiving at the 
time a two-fold promise, that his seed 
should become a vast multitude, and that 
through them all the families of the earth 
should be blessed. Abram was become a 
wealthy chief, and, with the servants and 
the substance that belonged to him, accom- 
panied by his wife Sarai and his nephew 
Lot, he entered Canaan. 12 : 1-5. The 
country was already occupied by descend- 
ants of Ham. He passed through the heart 
of the country by the great highway to 
Shechem, and 'pitched his tent by the oak 
of Moreh. Gen. 12 : 6. Here he received 
in vision from Jehovah the further revela- 
tion that this was the land which his de- 
scendants should inherit. Removing from 
Moreh he pitched on a mount to the east 
of Bethel, and journeying south he went 
down into Egypt (famine then afflicting 
Canaan), establishing there the first link of 
that mysterious chain which so long, 
through almost all their history, bound the 
chosen people for discipline and for warn- 
ing to the Egyptians. But here, alas ! 
Abram's faith wavered. Fearing that the 
great beauty of Sarai might tempt the 
powerful monarch of Egypt and expose his 
own life to peril, he arranged that Sarai 
should represent herself as his sister, which 
her actual relationship to him, as probably 
the daughter of his brother Haran, allowed 
her to do with some semblance of truth. 
But her beauty was reported to the king, 
and she was taken into the royal harem. He 
was rescued by God's providence from the 
false position in which he had placed him- 
self, and enriched by Pharaoh he returned 
to Canaan. Gen. 12 : 10-20. Abram was 
wealthy ; and Lot was wealthy too. Had 
the land been empty, they might very well 
have extended their encampments in it. 
But the Canaanites and Perizzites were 
there too; and therefore uncle and nephew 
must separate. From a hill near Bethel, 
which it is said may still be identified, 
Abram and Lot surveyed the country ; and 
Lot, having his choice allowed him, selected 
the rich valley of the Jordan for his abode, 
careless what kind of associates he would 
thus meet with; while Abram, with the 
renewed assurance that Canaan should be 



given to his seed, went southward to 
Mamre and dwelt there. Lot was soon in- 
volved in the disasters of the neighborhood 
he had chosen. He was made prisoner in 
the irruption of an eastern monarch, of 
whom something, it is said, is yet to be 
dimly traced in the deciphered Assyrian 
inscriptions (see Chedor-laomer) ; and 
Abram resolved to attempt his nephew's 
rescue. On his victorious return he re- 
ceived the blessing of Melchizedek. But 
Abram's faith began to be sorely tried. 
The promise was to him in his seed ; and 
as yet he had no child. Years rolled on ; 
and the likelihood of his having offspring 
grew less and less. The promise was there- 
fore repeated : Abram believed it. And 
now, because his faith held on, not only 
when accomplishment seemed easy, but 
when it was delayed and seemed most 
difficult, well-nigh impossible, now, when 
there was the word alone, the bare promise, 
with no outward confirmation, and Abram 
still beUeved, God " counted it to him for 
righteousness." The trial of his faith was 
very, very precious, " much more precious 
than of gold that perisheth," 1 Pet. 1 : 7. 
And then there was a symbol vouchsafed 
him, and larger promise that his posterity 
should possess the whole extent of country 
between the river of Egypt and the Eu- 
phrates. Sarai's faith, however, faltered; 
and, as the promise was not yet announced 
that the holy seed should come from Sarai's 
womb, she gave her husband her Egyptian 
maid, intending to adopt her child. Aoram 
then had a son, Ishmael ; but he was not 
the heir of promise. Thirteen years passed 
on, perhaps spent at Mamre; and the 
purposes of. God were ripening. The 
covenant was now made more definite : 
Sarai was included in the promise ; the 
names of the pair were changed to Abra- 
ham and Sarah ; and the sign of circum- 
cision was added, to be a token throughout 
all generations that God had been with and 
was blessing Abraham his friend. But 
there must be delay and trial still. The 
Lord held again mysterious conference with 
Abraham, before Sodom was destroyed, 
and Abraham, perhaps in consequence 
of that catastrophe, journeyed south-west 
into the land of the PhiUstines at Gerar ; 
and there the evil step in Egypt was re- 
peated. At length God's time was come ; 
and Sarah bare Abraham a son (prob- 
ably at Gerar) in his old age. And then 
indeed there was joy ; the promise long 
waited for being now fulfilled. The name 
given to the child, Isaac {laughter or sport- 
ing), indicated this. Once Sarah had 
laughed incredulously at the idea of her 
having a son, and Abraham had laughed 
too, his faith, strong as it was, being then 
inclined to fix on Ishmael as the heir of 
his name and blessing. Gen. chaps. 13-20. 
But now the happy parents laughed with 
thankful joy ; and all their friends that 
heard the tidings laughed and rejoiced with 
them. Gen. 21 : 1-7. There was a feast made 
when Isaac was weaned ; yet the mirth of 
that feast was dashed with heaviness. The 
son of the bondwoman, jealous perhai)s of 

13 



ABRAM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ABSALOM 



Isaac's happier lot, was discovered mock- 
ing; and Sarah insisted that he and his 
mother Hagar should be banished from the 
encampment. It was very grievous to 
Abraham; but God commanded him to 
yield ; and Hagar and Ishmael went forth, 
a sign of the call of the Gentiles, and prov- 
ing the best means of fulfilling the promise 
that Ishmael should become a great na- 
tion. Gen. 21 : 8-21 ; Gal. 4 : 22-31. There 
were some petty troubles from Abimelech 
in the patriarch's Ufe, but with this excep- 
tion nothing is recorded of the space of 
perhaps 25 years. His residence was now 
at Beer-sheba. And then came a strange 
and crushing trial. To comprehend it, we 
must bear in mind that Abraham hved 
among idolaters, who ruthlessly made their 
children pass through the fire. Lev. 18 : 21, 
24, 25 ; Deut. 18 : 9, 10. Many a time must 
Abraham have seen from afar the smoke 
of sacrifices, and known that human vic- 
tims were offered there. And his heart 
must have glowed when he remembered 
that his God required no such homage ; and 
perhaps he had to stand the scoff of thwe 
around, that he had chosen a very easy 
religion, demanding not the self-denying 
obedience which theirs did. For, surely, 
though they practiced these cruel abomin- 
ations, many hearts among them must have 
bled as their dearest were taken as victims ; 
and though they yielded to the stern law it 
must have been with grief and bitter tears. 
Their obedience, then, they would say, was 
far deeper and more meritorious than 
Abraham's easy service. But then came 
the command, '" Take now thy son, thine 
only son Isaac whom thou lovest ... and 
offer him for a burnt-offering." It was not 
merelv the laceration of domestic ties, not 
only the apparent bhght of the promise so 
long waited for and then fuuilled — the 
whole basis of his trust seemed overturned, 
the character of the God he worshipped 
changed, his religion no better than that 
of the surrounding tribes. Imagination can- 
not conceive a harder trial. But his faith, 
hitherto unshaken, supported him in this 
final trial, " accounting that God was able 
to raise up his son, even from, the dead, from 
whence also he received him in a figure." 
Heb. 11 : 19. The sacrifice was stayed by the 
angel of Jehovah, the promises were again 
confirmed to him, the spiritual blessings in 
them being prominently exhibited; and, 
with gratitude which even the sacred his- 
torian does not attempt to describe, Abra- 
ham returned to Beer-sheba. This great 
event was the most wonderful in the pa- 
triarch's hfe. Then it was, no doubt, that 
his eye was opened to perceive in the dim 
future another sacrifice, of a dearer Son 
yielded by a higher Father (and probably 
on or near that very spot), a sacrifice 
actually consummated, by the virtue of 
which a propitiation of world-wide vir- 
tue was effected. The rest of Abraham's 
history is comparatively scanty. He seems 
to have removed from Beer-sheba to Kir- 
jath-arba or Hebron; and there Sarah 
died when he was 137. He purchased for 
her sepulchre the field and cave of Mach- 

14 



pelah from the princes of the land, for the 
exorbitant price of 400 shekels of silver. 
The bargain with Ephron is very character- * 
istic of eastern manners to the present day. 
Some, misled by Ephron's courteous speech, 
have fancied that he really intended to 
offer his field to Abraham for a gift. But 
this is from sheer ignorance of Oriental 
habits. Ephron was a shrewd man, who 
well knew how to drive a bargain ; and a 
good one he made for himself. Gen, 23. 
Abraham then took care that his son Isaac 
should not marry into the idolatrous 
famihes around. And next there is the 
strange record that he had another wife, 
and children by her; and even "concu- 
bines" are mentioned. Keturah was a 
secondary or inferior wife, not given to the 
patriarch by Sarah, as Hagar was. It may 
be, therefore, that, though the fact is noted 
so late, the children had been born much 
earher. But we can hardly arrive at cer- 
taintv on this matter. Be it as it may, 
Abraham sent away his other sons with 
gifts into the east, that they might not in- 
terfere with Isaac, to whom his great inher- 
itance belonged. And then he died, 175 
years old, having seen Isaac's sons, and was 
buried by Isaac and Ishmael in the cave 
of Machpelah, where perchance his bones 
may still be lying. Such briefly is the storj-^ 
of this father of the faithful, from whoih 
the precious seed descended, and into 
whose bosom the faithful dead are said to 
have been conveyed. Luke 16 : 22. His 
faith we are to follow : his good example 
we should diligently imitate. 

Absalom {at/sa-lom), father of peace. 
The third son of David, by Maachah, the 
daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, born 
at Hebron. 2 Sam. 3 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 3 : 2. Absa- 
lom revenged the dishonor done to Tamar, 
his sister, by Amnon, his half-brother, by 
killing him at a feast, and then fled to his 
father-in-law, Talmai, 2 Sam. 13. After 
three years, by means of Joab, he was ena- 
bled to return to Jerusalem, and in two 
years more fully restored to David's fa- 
vor, Absalom was now nourishing the am- 
bitious scheme of supplanting his father. 
He was very beautiful and had extraor- 
dinarj' hair, which when cut everj^ year 
weighed 200 shekels, the exact equiVa'lent 
to which in our weights it is not easy to 
ascertain ; or, possibly, the hair was of 200 
shekels' value. He took great pains to ac- 
quire popularity, and after four years (so 
Ave may read, 2 Sajn. 15:7) he raised the 
standard of revolt at Hebron. The his- 
torj' of this rebelUon, its first success—there 
being evidently some ill-feeling in his 
own tribe of Jiidah towards David — with 
the iniquitous conduct of Absalom, and 
his final defeat, is in 2 Sam., chap. 15-18. 
David wished to spare his unhappy son's 
life; but, in the rout, his mule carrj-ing 
him under the thick boughs of an oak, his 
head was caught; and Joab, being made 
aware of this, dispatched him, Absalom 
had three sons and a daughter, but it 
would seem that his sons died before him, 
as he erected a pillar to keep his name in 
remembrance. 2 Sam. 18; 18. A monument 



ACCAD 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ACHZIB 



outside the walls of Jerusalem now bears 
his name, but it is a structure of compara- 
tively modern date. 

Accad {ak'kad), fortress, one of the four 
cities in the kingdom of Nimrod. Gen, 10 : 
10. It was in the land of Shinar, and 
George Smith locates it at Agadi, on the 
Euphrates, north of Babylon. Rawlinson 
places it at Aker-Kuf, ten miles west by 
north of Bagdad. Others had regarded it 
as identical with Ctesiphon. 

Accho (dk'ko), heated sand, now Acca or 
Acre, Judg. 1 : 31, or Ptoleraais (so called 
I after the first Ptolemy, king of Egypt, 
' into whose hands it fell about 100 years 
before Christ), was a seaport town on 
the bay of Acre, over against Carmel, 
about 30 miles south of Tyre. It was 
in the territory assigned to the tribe 
of Asher, and one of the cities from 
which they were unable to expel the 
Canaanites ; and it is even now considered 
the strongest place in Palestine. It is men- 
tioned in Acts 21 : 7. It now has about 
6000 inhabitants. The place has been 
noted in modern times for the successful re- 
sistance it made, under Sir Sydney Smith, 
to the French army in 1799. It has an old 
cathedral, and a bishop of the Greek 
Church. The Romish monks have an inn, 
which serves them instead of a convent. 

Accursed, Cursed. The Greek word 
anathema, and the Hebrew word answer- 
ing to it, signify things accursed, set apart 
or devoted to destruction. But the phrase 
is variously rendered : 1. Josh. 6 : 17, de- 
voted to destruction. 2. 1 Cor. 12 : 3, a de- 
ceiver. 3. Gal. 1:8, 9, separated from the 
church. 

Aceldama (a-sH'da-mah), field of blood. 
Acts 1 : 19. A field said to have been in- 
tended for the burial of strangers, which 
the chief priests bought with the money 
returned by Judas, as the price of the Sa- 
viour's blood. Matt. 27:6-8. It was just 
without the wall of Jerusalem, south of 
Mount Zion, and is supposed to have been 
originally called the Potter's Field, because 
it furnished a sort of clay suitable for pot- 
ter's ware. The "field of blood" is now 
shown on the steep southern face of the 
valley or ravine of Hinnom. It was be- 
lieved in the middle ages that the soil of 
this place had the power of rapidly consum- 
ing bodies buried in it, and in consequence 
of this, or of the sanctity of the spot, great 
quantities of the earth were taken away. 

Achaia (a-kd' yah or a-kd'yah). This was 
the original name of a district in the north- 
west of the Peloponnesus : in New Testa- 
ment times it had a wider signification ; for 
the Roman provinces of Achaia and Mace- 
donia comprehended the whole of Greece. 
It is in this larger sense that Achaia must 
be understood. Acts 18 : 12, 27 ; 19 : 21 ; Rom. 
15 : 26 ; 16 : 5 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 15 ; 2 Cor. 1 : 1 ; 9 : 2 ; 
11 : 10 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 7, 8. Achaia was first a 
senatorial province, and had proconsuls. 
Tiberius changed it into a province impe- 
rial under procurators; and Claudius re- 
stored it to the senate. Hence Galho, before 
whom Paul appeared, was proconsul. Cor- 
iuth was the capital city. 



Achan {d'kan), troubler. A man of the 
tribe of Judah, who at the sacking of Jeri- 
cho took, contrary to God's express com- 
mand, a portion of the spoil. Hence the 
repulse before Ai. Achan's guilt being 
discovered, he was carried with his family 
and all his property into the valley of 
Achor, and there stoned and afterwards 
burned. It would seem that Achan's fam- 
ily shared his punishment— how far they 
were involved in his crime we know not — 
and that his possessions were destroyed. 
Josh. 7. He is also called Achar (d'kar). 

Achisli {d'kish), angry or serpent charmer. 
A Philistine king at Gath. David fled twice 
to him. The first time he was in some dan- 
ger, from being recognized as one who had 
distinguished himself against the Philis- 
tines; he therefore feigned madness. 1 
Sam. 21 : 10-15. The second time Achish 
treated David kindly, gave him Ziklag, and 
took him to the campaign against Saul, 
but was persuaded by his officers to send 
him home again. 1 Sam. 27; 28:1, 2; 29. At 
a later period Shimei went to Achish in 
pursuit of his servants ; but it is doubtful 
whether this was the same king. 1 Kings 
2 : 39, 40. In the title of Ps. 34 he is called 
Abimelech. 

Aclimetha {dk'nie-thah), strong box or 
press. Ezra 6 : 2. The Ecbatana of ancient 
Media, and the place where the records of 
the kingdom were preserved. The place 
is occupied, as it is supposed, by the mod- 
ern city of Hamadan, in Persia. It was 
surrounded by seven walls, and at one 
period was considered the strongest and 
most beautiful city of the east, except Nin- 
eveh and Babylon. 

Achor (d'kor), trouble. A vfl,lley near 
Jericho, wnere Achan was stoned; and 
from the trouble Achan brought upon Is- 
rael It had its name. Josh. 7 : 24, 26. Yet 
from that trouble sanctified a new career 
of victory began. With this idea we find 
the place and the circumstance afterwards 
adverted to. Hos. 2 : 15. The valley of 
trouble was the door through which Is- 
rael entered Canaan first; and again 
through the valley of trouble would the 
Lord lead his ransomed people to peace 
and rest. The boundary line of Judah ran 
bv Achor. Josh. 15 : 7. It is also mentioned 
in Isa. 65 : 10. 

Achsa, Achsah {dk'sah), anklet. The 
daughter of Caleb. Caleb promised her in 
marriage to any one who should take Kir- 
jath-sepher, or Debir. Judg. 1 : 11. 0th- 
niel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, 
took the city and gained the hand of Ach- 
sah, to whom her father gave an inherit- 
ance. Josh. 15 : 16-19 ; Judg. 1 : 12-15. 

Achshaph (dk'shaf), enchantment. Josh, 
12 : 20. A city conquered by Joshua, and 
afterwards assigned to the tribe of Asher. 
It was not far from Accho. Josh. 19 : 25. 

Achzib (dk'zib), deceit. 1. Josh. 19:29. 
A city of the tribe of Asher. Judg. 1 :31. 
Its present name is Zib. It is found near 
the sea coast, ten or twelve miles north of 
Ptolemais, and was visited by Buckingham 
in 1816. 2. Josh. 15 : 44, and IMleah. 1 : 14. A 
town of Judah. 

15 



ACRABBIM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIOXARY 



ADASIANT 



Acrabbim {ak-Jcrdb'bim). Josh. 15 : 3, 
margin. See Maaleh-acrabbim. 

Acts of tbe Apostles. The book so 
called is the fifth and last of the historical 
books of the New Testament ; it connects 
the Gospels with the Epistles, being a fitting 
supplement to the former and a valuable 
introduction to the latter. There can be 
no reasonable question that Luke was 
the writer of this book. Its date is pretty 
well determined by the time at which its 
narrative closes — ^tvvo years after Paul's 
being brought a prisoner to Rome. "We 
may, therefore, with much probabihty as- 
sign it to 63 A.D. The title "Acts of the 
Apostles," by which this book is commonly 
known, would seem to be a later addition. 
It does not describe accurately the contents. 
For the object of the evangelist was 
neither to give a complete history of the 
church during the period comprised, nor to 
record the labors of^ all the apostles : it was 
rather to exhioit the fulfillment of promise 
in the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the 
consequent planting and' gTO-v\i:h of the 
Christian church among Jews and Gentiles 
by the estabhshment of centres of influence 
in various provinces of the empire, begin- 
ning at Jerusalem and ending at Rome. 
Keepingthis idea steadily in \'iew, we shall 
see that all the events recorded fall natur- 
ally into their places, and that any seeming 
abruptness is sufficiently accounted for. 
This book divides itself into two main parts ; 
each being grouped around a central figure. 
— 1. The planring and extension of the 
church among the Jews by the ministry of 
Peter. Chs. 1-12. Subdivisions are (1) the or- 
ganization of the church in Jerusalem, 1-7 ; 
(2) the brandling forth of the gospel in 
various directions from the mother church. 
8-12. 2. The planting and extension of the 
church among the Gentiles by the ministry' 
of Paul. 13-28. Subdi%-isions are (1) Paul's 
ministry at large, 13-22 : 26 ; (2) his ministry- 
in bonds. 22 : 27 ; 28. It must be carefully 
observed that these two parts are closely 
connected as belonging to one great systeni. 
For it is Peter who first introduces a Gen- 
tile convert into the church ; and Paul, 
during the whole of his administrations, is 
careful to proclaim the gospel, in everj- 
place where he has opportunity, first to the 
Jews and afterwards to the Gentiles. There 
is on the face of it a truthfulness in this 
book which strongly commends itself to 
the reader. Thus the speeches attributed 
to dift'erent individuals are in full ac- 
cordance with their respective characters 
and the circumstances in which they stood. 
The author was himself present at several 
of the events which he narrates — and this 
he carefully notes by change of person and 
in the verbs and pronouns he uses ; he 
had, moreover, as a companion of the 
apostles, the best opportunities of kno^ving 
accurately the things he did not personally 
witness. "The book of Acts has sometimes 
been called the "first missionarj- report, 
but with no financial account." 'The per- 
sonal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ with 
his church adding to its numbers, calling 
Paul, spteaking with him, and also of the 
16 



Holy Ghost directing the church, are es- 
pecially noticeable in the Acts of the 
Apostles. Acts 2 : 4, 47 ; 4 : 31 ; 8 : 39 : 9 : 5, 
6, 10 ; 10 : 19 ; 13 : 2 ; 16 : 6 ; 18 : 9. 

Adam {dd'am), red, red earth. The name 
appropriated to the first man, the father of 
the inhabitants of the world ; used, how- 
ever, sometimes more generally, as in Gen. 
5:1,2, where the woman is included. This 
name was probably chosen to remind the 
man of his earthly nature, seeing that out 
of the ground his "body was taken, though 
his soul, the breath of life, was breathed into 
his nostrils by God's immediate act. This 
histor}- of his creation is narrated in Gen. 
1 : 26-30 ; 2 : 7, 15-25, a single pair being \ 
formed, to whom the earth was given for a 
possession, to replenish it with their chil- 
dren, to enjoy the fruits of it, and to have 
dominion over the inferior animals. We 
are told that " God created man in his own 
image " and after his " likeness ; " not with 
respect to bodily shape, but with a likeness 
to God in moral attributes. This is implied 
by the expressions of St. Paul, who plainly 
considers righteousness and hohness the 
likeness of God. Eph. 4 : 24 ; Col. 3 : 10. The 
phrase must also denote the possession of 
dominion and authority ; for immediately 
it is subjoined " let them have dominion,'' 
Gen. 1 : 26, explanatory*, it would seem, of 
the term "image." And so St. Paul calls 
the man "the image and glory of God," on 
the ground of his being "the head of the 
woman." 1 Cor. 11 : 3, 7. The high intel- 
lectual power with which man was en- 
dowed is illustrated by his giving appro- 
priate names to the lower animals. Gen. 
2 : 19, 20. He was indeed a glorious creature, 
and would have been uninterruptedly and 
increasingly happy had he continued in 
his first estate of innocence. Adam's 
lamentable fall is next related. How 
long it was after his creation, ingenious 
men have puzzled themselves to discover, 
but in vain. By sin Adam lost his best 
prerogative. He had suffered spiritual 
death, and he was to suffer bodily death : 
dust as he was, to dust he should return. 
To his posterity he transmitted, therefore, a 
corrupted nature, which could be restored 
and recovered only by the power of 
the second Adam, "a head of life and 
blessedness to all that beheve in him. 
Rom. 5 : 15, 16 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 21, 22, 45, 47, 48. 
Of Adam's subsequent histor>' we know 
httle. We are expressly told that he had 
"sons and daughters," though the names 
of but three of nis sons are recorded. He 
Uved 930 years. Gen. 4 : 1, 2, 25, 26 ; 5 : 3-5 ; 1 
Chron. 1:1; Luke 3 : 38, and was probably 
contemporary with Methusalah about 24*0 
years. Meth'usalah lived 600 years with 
Noah ; Shem lived 150 years with Abram, 
and 50 years "uith Isaac, according to the 
Ussher Chronologj', so that the history of 
the world before the flood might have been 
carried through three or four persons to the 
time of Moses. 2. A city near tne Jordan, by 
which the waters were cut off when Israel 
passed over. Josh. 3 : 16. 

Adamant. This word is found twice In 
our version, Ezek. 3 : 9 Zeeh. 7 : 12, in both 



ADAR 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ADULLAM 



cases Tised metaphorically to signify firm- 
ness of character and purpose. The original 
word occurs again in Jer. 17 : 1, where it is 
translated "diamond," with which the 
writer's pen is said to be pointed. The 
term must signify some exceedingly hard 
stone; and diamond is the hardest we 
know. 

Adar (a'dar). 1. A place on the south 
boundary of Judah. Josh. 15 : S. 2. The 
12th month of the Jewish sacred year. See 
Month. 

Adder. Four different Hebrew words 
are so rendered in the A. V. That occur- 
ring Gen. 49 : 17 (arrowsnake, marg.), im- 
plies a gUding motion. It is a small and 
very venomous snake, with two antennae 
like horns, well known in Egypt, accus- 
tomed to lie in wait in the sand and near 
paths. "Adder " occurs also, Ps. 58 : 4 ; 91 : 
13, as the translation of another word, per- 
haps embodying the idea of twisting or 
twining. It is described as deaf to the 
charmer, and, as the same word is gener- 
ally rendered "asp,"e. s'., Deut. 32:33, it 
must have been venomous. It is probably 
the Egyptian cobra. We find another He- 
brew word. Ps. 140 : 3, which is compound, 
including the two ideas of coiling and lying 
in wait. It also was poisonous. There is 
one more word which impUes hissing. It 
occurs several times, Prov. 23 : 32 ; Isa. 11 : 8, 
14 : 29 ; 59 : 5 ; Jer. 8 : 17, but is rendered " ad- 
der" in the text only in the first-named 
Elace, elsewhere " cockatrice." It seems to 
ave hved in holes, to have been oviparous, 
and venomous. 

Admah {ad'mah), earth or fortress, one of 
the five cities in the vale of Siddim, Gen. 
10 : 19 ; 14 : 2, destroyed with Sodom. 

Adonibezek {a-do'ni-be'zek or a-ddn'i-be'- 
zek), lord of Bezek. The king of Bezek, 
conquered by the tribe of Judah. He had 
his thumbs and great toes cut off, having 
himself inflicted the same punishment on 
70 chiefs. Judg. 1 : 4-7. 

Adonyah {dd'o-nl'jah), my lord is Jeho- 
vah. 1. The fourth son of David, by Hag- 
gith, born at Hebron. 2 Sam. 3 : 4 ; 1 Chron. 
3 : 2. When his father was old, he, being a 
man of fine person and probably popular, 
aspired to the crown, in order to exclude 
Solomon. He was joined by Joab and Abia- 
thar, and seems to have had the countenance 
of his brothers. But David, being informed 
by Bath-sheba and Nathan, immediately 
ordered Solomon to be anointed king ; and 
' the intelhgence of this broke up the con- 
spiracy. Solomon promised, if Adonijah 
remained quiet, that this offence should be 
overlooked. 1 Kings 1. He did not re- 
main quiet, but, after David's death, per- 
suaded Bath-sheba to ask for him Abishag, 
a woman of his father's harem. Solomon, 
regarding this as a renewal of his attempt 
upon the crown, commanded him to be 
executed, l Kings 2 : 13-25. 2. A Levitein 
Jehoshaphat'stime. 2 Chron. 17:8. 3. One 
who sealed the covenant. Neh. 10 : 16. 

Adoniram {ad'o-nVram) . See Adoram. 

Adonizedek {a-do'm-ze'dek or a-ddn-i- 
ze'dek), lord of justice. The Amorite king 
of Jerusalem who organized a league with 



four other Amorite princes against Joshua. 
These confederate kings having laid siege 
to Gibeon, Joshua marcned to the reUef of 
his new alhes and put the besiegers to 
flight. The five kings took refuge in a cave 
at Makkedah, whence they were taken and 
slain, their bodies hung on trees, and then 
buried in the place of their concealment. 
Josh. 10 : 1-27. 

Adoption, Gal. 4 : 5, is an act by which 
one is received into a man's family as his 
own child, and becomes entitled to the 
peculiar privileges of that connection, as 
fully and completely as a child by birth. 
Ex. 2 : 10 and Esth. 2:7. In the figurative 
use of the term by the sacred writers it 
implies that relation which we sustain to 
God, when, by his grace, we are converted 
from sin to hoUness. The spirit of adoption 
is received, and we are made the children 
(or sons) and heirs of God, and joint-heirs 
with Christ. 

Adoram {a-do'ram), lord of height. 1 
Kings 12 : 18. By an unusual contraction 
from Adoniram, 2 Sam. 20 : 24, and 1 Kings 
4 : 6, and also Hadoram, 2 Chron. 10 : 18, 
chief receiver of the tribute during the 
reigns of David, 2 Sam. 20 : 24 -, Solomon, 1 
Kings 4 : 6, and Rehoboam, 1 Kings 12 : 18. 
This last monarch sent him to collect the 
tribute from the rebelhous IsraeUtes, by 
whom he was stoned to death. 

Adrammelecli (a-drCirn'me-Uk), ^lendor 
of the king, or fire king. 1. One or the idols 
adored by the Sepharvaim, who were set- 
tled in Samaria. They made their children 
pass through the fire in honor of this deity, 
and of another called Anammelech," image 
of the kin^." Rawhnson supposes the sun 
and his wife Anunit — perhaps the moon — 
to be referred to. 2 Kings 17 : 31. 2. A son 
of Sennacherib, who aided in slaying his 
father. 2 Kings 19 : 37 ; Isa. 37 : 38. 

Adramyttium {dd-ra-mit'tl-um). A sea- 
port town of Mysia : it was an Athenian 
colony, and is now but a village, retaining 
the name Adramyt, with some trade. It 
was in a ship of Adramyttium that Paul 
on his voyage to Italy sailed from Csesarea 
toMyra. Acts 27: 2-5. 

Adria (a'dri-ah), Acts 27 : 27, is now the 
gulf which hes between Italy on one side, 
and the coast of Dalmatia on the other. It 
is called the Gulf of Venice. In the apos- 
tle's time it is supposed to have denoted the 
whole breadth or the Mediterranean sea, 
from Crete to Sicily. 

Adriel. 1 Sam. 18 : 19. See Merab. 

Adullam (a-dul'lam), justice of the peo- 
ple. Josh. 15 : 35. An ancient and royal 
city in Judah, 15 or 20 miles southwest of 
Jerusalem. The king of the place was slain 
by Joshua. It was fortified by Rehoboam, 
and, probably on account of its strength, 
was called the glory of Israel. Mic. 1 : 15. 
Near this city was a cave, where David se- 
creted himself when he fled from Achish. 
The cave is described by a modem traveller 
as uneven, intricate, and very capacious; 
he says it is perfectly plain that 400 men 
might conceal themselves in the sides of 
the cave, as David's men did, and escape 
observation. X Sam. 22 : 1. 

17 



A1>ULTERY 



PEOPLE'S DICTlONARf 



AHA2 



Adultery. Strictly denotes uncleanness 
between a man and a woman, either of 
whom is married. Broadly, it includes all 
manner of unchastity in heart, speech, or 
behavior. Matt. 6 : 27, 28. According to 
the law of God, given by Moses, the adul- 
terer and the adulteress shall surelv be put 
to death. Lev. 20 : 10. The mode of testing 
a charge made by a man accusing his wife 
of adultery is given, Nuin. 5 : 12-31. Christ 
says that whosoever looketh on a woman to 
lust after her hath committed adulter>' with 
her already in his heart. Matt. 5 : 28. In 
many parts of the Scripture the church is 
called an adulteress when she forsakes the 
worship of God and practices idolatty. Isa. 
57*3-12; Jer;3:l, 2, 9; 13:27; Ezek. 23:27; 
Matt. 12 : 39, etc. By our Saviour adultery 
was made the only ground for divorce. 

Adummiui {a-dum'mim), bloody. The 
name of a dangerous or mountainous part 
of the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, 
about four miles from the latter place. 
This lonely road is said to be still much in- 
fested by robbers, and the scene of many 
sanguinary murders. It is supposed that 
the scene of the parable of the Good Sa- 
maritan was laid here. Josh. 15:7; 18: 
17 ; Luke 10 : 30-36. 

Advocate. 1 John 2:1. See Comforter. 

ugEnon. John 3 : 23. See Enon. 

Agabus (dg'a-Ms), locust. Theonly New 
Testament prophet mentioned by name. 
He predicted a great famine, which oc- 
curred in the reign of Claudius, a. d. 44. 
Acts 11 : 28, He also predicted the impris- 
onment of Paul. Acts 21 : 10, 11. 

Aga,g {d'gdgYfiame. l. The name or title 
of a powerful king of the Amalekites, who 
was contemporary with Moses. Num. 24: 
7. 2. An Amalekite king, who was con- 
quered by Saul, and put to death by Samuel 
for his cruelty. 1 Sam. 15 : 8-33. The term 
" Agagite " signifies an Amalekite. Esth. 3 : 
1,10; 8:3, 5. 

Agar (d-gar). Gal. 4 : 24. See Hagar. 

Agrippa (a-grtp'pah). See Herod. 

Ahab {d'hdb), father's brother. 1. The 
sixth king of Israel, the son and successor 
of Omri. His reign lasted 22 years, 918-897 
B.C.. He was the weakest and one of the 
most impious of all the Israehtish mon- 
archs. He has the miserable character 
given him of doing " evil in the sight of the 
Lord above all that were before him." He 
not only maintained the worship of the 
calves set up by Jeroboam, but, having 
married Jezebel, daughter of Eth-baal, king 
of the Zidonians, he yielded himself to her 
evil influence, and introduced the worship 
of Baal into Samaria. A persecution of the 
prophets of the Lord followed — many of 
them being destroyed by Jezebel. As a 
judgment, a drought was sent upon the 
land ; and then came the solemn vindica- 
tion of Jehovah's authority by the prophet 
Elijah before Ahab and the assembled peo- 

I)le, and the punishment, according to the 
aw of Moses, of the idolatrous prophets. 
1 Kings 17 : 18. Jezebel was irritated to mad- 
ness at the news of this catastrophe, and 
resolved to sacriiice Elijah ; while Ahab 
was either unable or uttwilUng to ijitejfere. 
18 



Afterwards his wicked queen led him Into 
one of his worst crimes. He seems to hav6 
had a cultivated taste. He built cities, 
and erected an ivory palace, 1 Kings 22 : 39, 
the walls being probably inlaid with ivory, 
and had pleasure grounds by his house in 
Jezreel, which he wished to enlarge by the 
addition of a vineyard belonging to Na- 
both. Naboth, however, refused either to 
sell or to exchange his hereditary property ; 
and Ahab, disappointed, manifested the 
temper of a spoiled child. The unscrupu- 
lous Jezebel then put him in ix)ssesgion of 
the coveted plot of ground by the judicial 
murder of Naboth ; and Ahab went to view 
it, but Avas met by EUjah, who denounced 
on him a fearful judgment. On his repent- 
ance, sui)erficial though It was, this sentence 
was partially revoked, and delayed till the 
days of Ahab's son. In two wars with 
Syria this prince was successful, but he im- 
properly spared Ben-hadad, the Syrian 
king. In a third campaign, having at- 
tempted, in alliance with Jehoshaphat, to 
retake Ramoth-gilead, still occupied by the 
Syrians, Ahab, though he disguised himself, 
was mortally wounded ; and the dogs Ucked 
up the blood washed from his chariot in 
the pool of Samaria. Weak and unsta- 
ble, Ahab let himself be made the tool 
of his wife ; and his history is an instruct- 
ive warning against such subserviency to a 
dangerous influence. 1 Kings 21. 2. A false 
prophet in Babylon. Jer. 29 : 20-23. 

Ajhasuerus {a-hds^-efrus), lion-king, the 
name of one Median and two Persian kings 
mentioned in the Old Testament. 1. In 
Dan. 9 : 1 Ahasuerus is said to be the father 
of Darius the Mede. The first Ahasuerus 
is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh, B.C. 
634. 2. The Ahasuerus, king of Persia, re- 
ferred to in Ezra 4 : 6, must be Cambyses, 
thought to be Cyrus' successor, and perhaps 
his son. B. c. 529. 3. The third is the Ahas- 
uerus of the Book of Esther. This Ahas- 
uerus is probably Xerxes of history, Esther 
1 : 1, B. c. 485, and this conclusion is favored 
by the resemblance of character and by 
certain chronological indications, the ac- 
counts of his Ufe and character agreeing 
with the book of Esther. In the third year 
of Ahasuerus was held a great feast and as- 
sembly in Shushan the palace, Esther 1 : 3, 
following a council held to consider the in- 
vasion of Greece. He divorced bis queen 
Vashti for refusing to appear in pubUc at 
this banquet, and married, four years after- 
wards, the Jewess Esther, cousin and ward 
of Mordecai. Five years after this, Haman, 
one of his counsellors, having been shghted 
by Mordecai, prevailed upon the king to 
order the destruction of all the Jews in the 
empire. But before the day appointed for 
the massacre, Esther and Mordecai induced 
the king to put Haman to death, and to 
give the Jews the right of self-defence. 

Ahava {a-hd'vah or a'ha-vah), water. A 
river probably in Babylonia, near where 
Ezra collected the returning exiles. Ezra 
8:21, 31. 

Ahaz (a'hdz), seizer or possessor. 1. The 
eleventh King of Judah ; he was contempo- 
rary mXh. tJie proplr^ts Isaiah, Hosea, aud 



AHAZIAH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



AHITHOPHEL 



Micah. He raigned 16 years. If, as it is stated 
in 2 Kings 16 : 2, A. V., Ahaz was 20 years 
old when he ascended the throne, he must 
have been the father of Hezekiah when 
eleven years of age. 2 Kings 18 : 2. Here, 
however, the Septuagint and the Syriac 
read " twenty-five years old." 2 Chron. 28 : 
1. He was distinguished for his idolatry 
and contempt of the true God ; and against 
him many of the prophecies of Isaiah are 
directed. He died b. c. 726 ; and such was 
his impiety, that he was not allowed bvirial 
in the sepulchre of the kings. 2 Kings 16 : 

I, 2, 20 ; 2 Chron. 28 : 1-27 ; Isa. 7 : 1, 25. 2. 
A descendant of Jonathan. 1 Chron. 8 : 35 ; 
9:42. 

Aliaziah (d-ha-zi'ah), whom Jehovah 
holds. 1. The eighth king of Israel; he 
was the son and successor of Ahab. He 
reigned two years, alone and with his 
father, who associated him in the kingdom 
the year before his death. In the second 
year of his reign he fell through the lattice 
of an upper apartment of his palace, and 
died soon after, as Ehjah had foretold, b. c. 
895. Ahaziah imitated the impiety of his 
father and mother in the worship of Baal 
and Ashteroth. 1 Kings 22 : 40-51 ; 2 Kings 
1; 2 Chron. 20:35, 37. 2. The sixth king 
of Judah ; he succeeded his father, and 
reigned only one year. 2 Kings 8 : 26. In 
2 Chron. 22 : 2, he is said, by an error of the 
scribes, to have been " forty -two years old " 
when he began to reign, which would 
make him two years older than his father. 
The correct age is " twenty-two," as stated 
in 2 Kings 8 : 16-26. Ahaziah was governed 
by his idolatrous mother Athahah ; he re- 
ceived his mortal wound by the command 
of Jehu, and died at Megiddo, B.C. 883. 
2 Kings 9 : 27. In 2 Chron. 22 : 9, the cir- 
cumstances of the death of Ahgiziah ap- 
■pe&T to be stated differently : but the ac- 
count is only more full, and follows the 
order of events. Ahaziah is also called 
"Jehoahaz," 2 Chron. 21:17; 25:23; and 
" Aaariah," 2 Chron. 22 : 6. 

Ahiah (a-hl'ah), friend of Jehovah. 1. 
Supposed by some to be the same with 
Ahimelech, 1 Sam, 21 : 1, was the son of 
Ahitab, and his successor in the priest's 
office. 1 Sam. 14 : 3, 18. See Ahimelech 
and Ahitub. 2. Ahiah (A. V.), or, Ahijah 
(R. v.), son of Shisha, one of Solomon's 
scribes. 1 Kings 4:3. 3. A descendant 
of Benjamin. 1 Chron. 8 : 7. 

Ah\|ah (a-hl'jah), brother or friend of Je- 
hovah, 1. A prophet who dwelt in Shiloh, 
in the reign of the first Jeroboam. He is 
thought to be the person who spoke twice 
to Solomon from God. 1 Kings 6 : 11 ; 11 : 

II, 29 ; 14 : 6 ; 2 Chron. 9 : 29. 2. The father 
of Baasha. 1 Kings 15:27,33. 3. One of 
the sons of Jerahmeel. 1 Chron. 2 : 25. 4. 
One of David's distinguished officers. 1 
Chron. 11 : 36. 5. One of the Levites. 1 
Chron. 26 : 20. 6. One who sealed the cov- 
enant. Neh. 10 : 26. 

Ahikam (a-hl'kam), brother of the enemy. 
A person who rescued Jeremiah, when it 
was proposed to give him into the hands of 
the people, to be put to deat i. 2 Kings 22 : 
12-i4;^;23; Jer,;^;34}39ai 



Ahimaaz (a-him'a-dz), brother of anger. 
1. The father of Ahinoam, Saul's wife. 1 
Sam. 14 : 50. 2. The son of Zadok the priest. 
He, with Jonathan, Abiathar's son, con- 
trived to bring David intelligence, during 
Absalom's rebellion, of Ahithophel's coun- 
sel, and Hushai's endeavor to counteract it. 
They -were hid in a well and escaped cap- 
ture. 2 Sam. 15 : 27, 36 ; 17 : 15-22. When the 
royal forces had gained the victory, he of- 
fered to convey the news to David ; but his 
request was refused by Joab because of Ab- 
salom's death. After Cushi had been de- 
spatched, Ahimaaz again solicited permis- 
sion to run, and, having overcome Joab's re- 
luctance, he started, outran Cushi, and. ap- 
prised the king of the success achieved. 
In answer, however, to the inquiry respect- 
ing Absalom, he, not quite truthfully, re- 
plied that he had seen a tumult, but " knew 
not what it-was." 2 Sam. 18:19-30. We 
hear' nothing more of Ahimaaz, and, com- 
paring 1 Kings 4 : 2 ; 1 €hron. 6 : 8, 9, 53, it 
seems probable that he died before his 
father, and was never high priest. 3. One 
of Solomon's commissariat officers. 1 Kings 
4 : 15. We cannot suppose this person iden- 
tical with No. 2. 

Ahimelech (a-Mm'el-ik), brother of the 
king. The ninth high priest of the Hebrews. 
He dwelt at Nob, and was the intimate 
inend of David ; on this account he was 
put to death by Saul, together with all the 
priests that were with him, except his son 
Abiathar, who fled to David. By an error 
of the scribes he is called "Ahimelech," 
1 Chron. 18 : 16 ; also " Ahiah," 1 Sam. 14 : 3 ; 
and he is sometimes confounded with Abi- 
athar. 1 Sam. 21 : 1, 2 ; 22 : 9. 

Ahinoam {a-Mn'o-am, or d-hi-nd'am), 
brother of pleasantness. 1. The wife of Saul. 

1 Sam. 14 : 50. 2. One of David's wives. 
25 : 43 ; 27 : 3 ; 30 : 5 ; 2 Sam. 2:2; 3:2. 

Ahio (a-hi'o), brotherly. 1. Son of Abin- 
adab. 2 Sam. 6 : 3, 4. 2. A descendant of 
Benjamin. 1 Chron. 8 : 14. 3. A son of Je- 
hiel. 1 Chron. 8 : 31 ; 9 : 37. 

Ahithophel (a-hlth'o-fel), brother offoUy. 
A native of Giloh, a city of Judah, David"'s 
trusted counsellor, 1 Chron. 27 : 33, 34, who 
was induced to join the party of Absalom, 

2 Sam. 15 :12, 31, 34. His advice was in- 
tended to make the breach irreparable be- 
twixt the father and the son ; and, had his 
comisel immediately to pursue David been 
followed, it is possible that the king would 
have been cut off before he reached the 
Jordan. But by God's providence Hushai's 
counterplan was preferred by Absalom; 
and Ahithophel, foreseeing the defeat of 
the rebellion, retired to his own city and 
hanged himself 2 Sam. 16 : 15 ; 17 : 23. 
Some have endeavored to account for 
Ahithophel's treason by the supposition 
that, as it seems Likely he was Bath-she- 
ba's grandfather, he wished to revenge 
on David the evil done to her. But this is 
not reasonable. The success of Absalom 
would probably have been fatal to Bath- 
sheba ; it would certainly have barred Sol- 
omon, Ahithophel's great-grandson, from 
the throne. Perhaps there may be a refer- 
eac« i» Ps, 41 ; 9 ; 5^ ; 12-14, to Ahithophel, 

19 



AHITUB 



PEOPLES DICTIONARY 



ALEXANDRIA 



she has her own tent. 
Ezek. 23 : 



and possibly through him to a yet worse 
traitor, Judas. 

Aliitub (a-hl'tub), brother, i. e., friend, of 
goodness. 1. The grandson ofEli, and father 
of Ahiah or Ahimelech. 1 Sam. 14 : 3 ; 22 : 
9, 11, 12, 20. We do not know whether he 
ever exercised the functions of high priest. 
2. The father, or, possibly, grandfather of 
..Zadok. 2 Sam. 8 : 17 ; 1 Chron. 6:7, 8, 52 ; 
9 : 11 ; 18 : 16 ; Ezra 7:2; Neh. 11 : 11. It is 
probable from Neh. 11:11 that he was 
actually high priest. 

Aholah. (a-ho'lah) 
A svmboUcal name for Samaria, 
4, 5, 36, 44. 

Aholiab (a-ho'li-db), tent of his father. 
An artificer of the tribe of Dan employed 
with Bezaleel in the construction of the 
tabernacle. Exod. 31 : 6 ; 35 : 34 ; 36 : 1, 2 ; 
38:23. 

Aliolibah {a-Ml'i-bah or a-ho'li-bah), my 
tabernacle is in her. A symboUcal name for 
Judah. Ezek. 23 : 4, 11, 22, 36, 44. 

Aliuzzath (a-huz'zath), possession. A 
friend of Abimelech, king of Gerar. Gen, 
26:26. 

Ai (d'i), Jieap of ruins. 1. A city of the 
Canaanites, Gen. 13 : 3, where it is " Hai " 
in the Authorized Version, but Ai in the 
Revised Version, Taken by Joshua. Josh, 
7:2-5; 8 : 1-29. Also called Aiath, Isa, 10 : 
28, and Aija in the A. V. and R. V., Neh. 11 : 
31. Abraham pitched his tent between 
Hai and Bethel, Gen. 12 : 8. The city of 
Ai was east of Bethel, and about nine miles 
north of Jerusalem. It is named 38 times 
in the Bible. 2. A city of the Ammonites, 
not far from Heshbon. Jer. 49 : 3. 

Ain (d'in), eye, spring. 1. A place, or 
probably a fountain, and one of the land- 
marks on the eastern boundary of Canaan. 
Niim. 34 : 11. It is now known as Ain el- 
Azy, a remarkable spring, one of the sources 
of the Orontes, and about ten miles west 
of Riblah, 2. A city of southern Palestine, 
first given to Judah, Josh. 15 : 32 ; afterward 
assigned to Simeon, Josh. 19 : 7 ; and then 
to the Levites, Josh. 21 : 16 ; 1 Chron. 4 : 32. 
The same place as Ashan, 1 Chron. 6 : 59 ; 
and possibly as En-rimmon, Neh. 11 : 29. 

Ajalon (dj-a-lon), or Aijalon (di'ja-ldn), 
place of gazettes. 1. A town in the tribe of 
Dan, assigned to the Levites, sons of Ko- 
hath. Josh. 19 : 42 ; 21 : 24 ; Judg. 1 : 35, and 
a city of refuge. It was not far from Tim- 
nath, and was taken by the Philistines from 
Ahaz. 2 Chron. 28 : 18. It lay on the south 
side of a fine valley, not far* from the val- 
ley of Gibeon, and is recognized in the 
modem village of Yalo, near the road to 
Jafia, some 14 miles from Jerusalem, The 
valley is the place where Joshua com- 
manded the sun and moon to stand still, 
and they obeyed him. Josh. 10 : 12 ; see 
also 1 Sam. 14 : 31, 2, A town in Benjamin, 
some three miles east of Bethel. It was 
fortified by Rehoboam. 2 Chron. 11 : 10. 
Some regard this as the same place as the 
above, in possession of different tribes at 
different times. 1 Chron. 6 : 66, 69. 3. In 
the tribe of Zebulun, the place of Elon's 
burial. Judg. 12 : 12. 

Akrabbiiu {a-krdb'bim), scoi'pions. A 

20 



range of hills on the south border of Judah 
towards the southern extremity of the 
Dead Sea ; which seems to have been in- 
fested with scorpions and serpents, Deut, 
8 : 15 ; Num. 34 : 4 ; Judg. 1 : 36. Instead of 
" the ascent of Akrabbim," we have in the 
Hebrew the name " Maaleh-Acrabbim," 
scorpion heights, in Josh. 15 • 3. 

Alabaster. What is usually called ala- 
baster is a kind of soft gypsum, properly 
sulphate of lime. But the alabaster of 
which jars and vases were usually made 
was finer grained, opaque, and usually 
white, but frequently shaded with other 
soft colors; hence sometimes called onyx 
marble, which is properly a carbonate of 
lime. Several vases of alabaster have been 
found in Egypt, varying in form and size ; 
one of which, bearing the name and title 
of the queen of Thothmes 11., had ointment 
in it, which had retained its odor for sev- 
eral centuries. In Mark 14 : 3 the phrase 
" she brake the box," is simply, " she brake 
the alabaster," i. e., the vase so called ; and 
merely refers to the breaking of the seal 
which closed the vase, and kept the per- 
fume from evaporation. Matt. 26 : 7 ; Luke 
7:37. 

Alexander (dl-egz-dn'der), strong man, 
or helper of men. 1. The son of Simon. 
Mark 15 : 21. 2. A member of the council. 
Acts 4:6. 3. A Jew of Ephesus. Acts 19 : 
34. 4. A coppersmith, and an apostate from 
Christianity. 1 Tim. 1 : 19, 20 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 
14. 

Alexandria {dl-egz-dn'dri-a). The Gre- 
cian capital of Egypt, founded by and 
named after Alexander the Great, B. c. 332. 
It was a noted seaport of Lower Egypt, and 
was situated on a low, narrow tract of land 
which divides Lake Mareotis from the 
Mediterranean, and near the western mouth 
of the Nile, about 120 miles from the pres- 
ent city of Cairo. Soon after its founda- 
tion by Alexander, it became the capital 
of the Ptolemies and the Grecian kings 
reigning in Egypt, and one of the most pop- 
ulous and prosperous cities of the East. 
Its harbor could accommodate vast navies, 
fitting it to become the commercial metrop- 
olis of the entire Eastern world. In front 
of the city, on the island of Pharos, stood 
a famous lighthouse, named after the island 
and noted as one of the seven wonders of 
the world. Alexandria numbered, in the 
days of its ancient prosperity, 600,000 in- 
habitants, half of them slaves, and ranked 
next to Athens in literatiu'e. It had the 
greatest library of ancient times, which 
contained upward of 700,000 rolls or vol- 
mnes. The portion in the musetun, con- 
sisting of 400,000 volumes, was burnt in 
B. c, 47. The additional or " new library " 
in the Serapeum, afterward increased to 
about 500,000 volumes, including the orig- 
inal 300,000 volumes, was destroyed by the 
fanatical vandalism of the Saracens in A, d, 
640. At Alexandria the Old Testament was 
translated into the Greek by 70 learned 
Jews— hence called the " Septuagint "— in 
the third century before the Christian era. 
The Alexandrian Greek dialect, known as 
Hellenistic Greek, was the language used 



ALEXANDRIANS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ALTAR 



by the early Christian fathers, and is still 
the study of the bibUcal scholar in the 
pages of the New Testament. Alexandria 
Avas the birthplace of Apollos, Acts 18 : 24, 
and in the apostle Paul's time it carried 
on an extensive commerce with the coun- 
tries on the Mediterranean. Acts 6:9; 27 : 
6 ; 28 : 11. In Alexandria originated the 
Arian heresy denying that Jesus Christ was 
divine, and there Athanasius, the "father 
of orthodoxy," firmly opposed the false 
and defended the true doctrine of the deity 
of our Lord. From a. d. 300 to 600 the city 
was second only to Rome in size and im- 
portance, and was the chief seat of Chris- 
tian theology. It was conquered by the 
Saracens under Caliph Omar about a. d. 
640, when it began to decline. The rising 
importance of Constantinople, and the dis- 
covery of an ocean passage to India by way 
of Cape Good Hope.contributed to its further 
ruin, until it was reduced from a prosper- 
ous city of 500,000 to a poor village of only 
5000 to 6000 inhabitants. It is now an im- 
portant city of 240,000 inhabitants— includ- 
ing 50,000 Franks— and is connected with 
Cairo by a railway, and also with Suez, on 
the Red Sea. Among the ancient monu- 
ments to be seen are the Catacombs, the 
Column of Diocletian. 94 feet high and 
named "Pompey's Pillar"— not from the 
famous Pompey, but from a Roman prefect 
who erected the column in honor of the 
emperor Diocletian — and one of the two 
obelisks or " Needles of Cleopatra," which, 
however, belong to the time of the Phara- 
ohs and were brought from Heliopohs. 
The obehsk on the embankment of the 
Thames, London, and the one in Central 
Park, New York, once stood at Alexan- 
dria. 

Alexandrians (Al-egz-dn'dri-anz). A 
synagogue of these is mentioned. Acts 6 : 
9. There are said to have been 460 or 480 
synagogues in Jerusalem. It was reason- 
able, therefore, to expect that Alexandria, 
where so many Jews dwelt, would have a 
special synagogue for their worship in Jeru- 
salem. 

Algum. 2 Chron. 2 : 8. See Almug. 

Alleluia. Rev. 19 : 1. See Halleluiah. 

Almond Tree. Gen. 43 : 11. This tree 
resembles a peach tree, but is larger. In 
Palestine it blossoms in January, and in 
March has fruit. Its blossoms are pinkish- 
white. Its Hebrew name signifies to watch 
and hasten, and to this there is an allusion 
in Jer. 1 : 11, 12. Aaron's rod was from an 
almond. Num. 17 : 8. In Eccl. 12 : 5 the 
hoary head is beautifully compared with 
the almond tree, either on account of its 
whiteness, beauty and winter blossoming, 
or the hastening on of decay. The golden 
bowls of the sacred candlestick were made 
" like almonds, with their knops and their 
flowers." Exod. 25 : 33, 34. 

Alms, Alms Deeds. The word is not 
found in the Authorized Version of the 
Old Testament, but is frequent in the New 
Testament. The duty was, however, en- 
joined very strictly upon the Jews, who 
by law were required always to leave glean- 
ings in the fields that the poor might be 
2 



fed. Lev. 19:9, 10: 23:22; Deut. 15:11; 
24 : 19 ; 26 : 2-13 ; Ruth 2 : 2. Every third 
year the tithe of the produce of the farmers 
was to be shared with the Levite, the fath- 
erless, the stranger, and the widow. Deut. 
14 : 28. Alms-giving is a subject of praise 
in the Old Testament — e. g., Job 31 : 17 ; Ps. 
41 : 1, and 112 : 9. In the temple there was 
one box for the reception of alms to be 
dedicated to the education of the poor chil- 
dren of good family. Alms-giving was a 
part of Pharisaic practice. Our Lord did 
not rebuke them for it, but for their self- 
satisfaction in the performance. Matt. 

6 : 2. In Acts 10 : 31 ; Rom, 15 : 25-27 ; 1 Cor. 
16 : 1-4 the Christian mode of relieving the 
wants of others is set forth. 

Almug Trees, 1 Kings 10 : 11 ; or Al- 
gum Trees. 2 Chron. 2 : 8. Two forms 
of the same word. One of the kinds of 
timber which Solomon ordered from Tyre 
for the building of the temple. Jewish 
historians describe it as a fine, white, glossy 
wood, and it was used for musical instru- 
ments, and the ornamental work of the 
temple. Sandal wood answers best to the 
description in the passage cited. Dr. Shaw 
supposes it to have been what we call the 
cypress, which is still used for harpsichords 
and other stringed instruments. 

Aloe. An odoriferous tree, called also 
" lign aloe." Num. 24 : 6 ; Ps. 45 : 8 ; Prov. 

7 : 17 ; Song of Sol. 4 : 14. The aroma of the 
tree proceeds from its resin, especially 
when decaying. Aloe wood is useful for 
perfuming rooms and clothing. We find it 
also mixed with myrrh, used in burial. 
John 19 : 89. 

Alplia {ai'phdh). The first letter of the 
Greek alphabet, corresponding to Aleph, 
the first Hebrew letter. These letters were 
used as numerals. Alpha therefore denotes 
one, the first. And, as Omega is the last 
Greek letter, our Lord calls himself Alpha 
and Omega, the first and the last, implying 
his divine etemitv. Rev. 1 : 8, 11 ; 21 : 6 ; 
22 : 13 ; comp. Isa. 44 : 6. 

Altar. Noah built an altar when he 
left the ark. Gen. 8 : 20. In the early times 
altars were usually built in certain spots 
hallowed by rehgious associations, e. g., 
where God appeared. Gen. 12 : 7 ; 13 : 18 ; 
26:25; 35:1. Though generally erected 
for the offering of sacrifice, in some in- 
stances they appear to have been only me- 
morials. Gen. 12 : 7 ; Ex. 17 : 15, 16. Altars 
were most probably originally made of 
earth. The law of Moses allowed them to 
be made of either earth or unhewn stones. 
Exod. 20 : 24, 25. I. The altar of burnt 
ofl^ring. It differed in construction at 
different times. In the tabernacle, Ex. 
27:1 ff".; 38:1 ff., it was comparatively 
small and portable. In shape it was 
square. It was five cubits in length, 
the same in breadth, and three cubits 
high. It was made of planks of shittim 
or acacia wood overlaid with brass. 
The interior was hollow. Ex. 27 : 8. 
At the four corners were four projec- 
tions called horns, made, like the altar 
itself, of shittim wood overlaid with brass, 
Ex. 27 ; 2, and to them the victim was 

21 



AMALEK 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



AMEN 



b«uii4 when abtiut to be sacrificed. Ps. 
118 : 27. Round the altar, midway between 
the top and bottom, ran a projecting ledge, 
on which perhaps the pnest stood when 
ofla elating. To the outer edge of this, 
again, a grating or network of brass was 
affixed, and reached to the bottom of the 
altar. ■ At the four comers of the network 
were four brazen rings, into which were 
inserted the staves by which the altar was 
earned. These staves were of the same 
materials as the altar Itself. As the priests 
were forbidden to ascend the altar by steps, 
Ex. 20 : 26, it has been conjectured that a 
slope of earth led gradually up to the ledge 
from which they officiated. The place of 
the altar was at "the door of the taber- 
nacle of the congregation." Ex. 40:29. 
In Solomon's temple the altar was con- 
siderably larger in its dimensions. It dif- 
fered too in the material of Avhich it was 
made, being entirely of brass. 1 Kings 8 : 
64 ; 2 Chron. 7:7. It had no grating, and 
instead of a single, gradual slope, the as- 
cent to it was probably made by three 
successive platforms, to each of which it 
has been supposed that steps led. The 
altar erected by Herod in front of the tem- 
ple was 15 cubits in height and 50 cubits in 
length and breadth. According to Lev. 6 : 

12. 13, a perpetual fire was to be kept burn- 
ing on the altar. II. The altar of incense, 
called also the golden altar to distinguish 
it from the altar of burnt offering, which 
was called the brazen altar. Ex. 38 : 30. 
That in the tabernacle was made of 
acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold. In 
shape it was square, being a cubit in length 
and breadth and two cubits in height. 
Like the altar of burnt offering it had 
horns at the four conrers, which were of 
one piece with the rest of the altar. This 
altar stood in the holy place, " before the 
vail that is bv the ark of the testimonv." 
Ex. 30 : 6 ; 40 : 5. The altar of Solomon's 
temple was similar, 1 Kings 7 : 48 ; 1 
Chron. 28 : 18, but was made of cedar 
o'serlaid with gold. In Acts 17 : 23 refer- 
ence is made to an altar to an unknown 
god. There were several altars in Athens 
with this inscription, erected during the 
time of a plague, since they knew not what 
god was offended and required to be pro- 
pitiated. In the New Testament the word 
altar does not occur in connection with 
Christian worship. Altar, sacrifice, priest, 
and temple, being typical of Christ and the 
Christian dispensation, have passed away. 
Their work was done when the offering of 
the body of Jesus Christ once was made. 
For, by one offering, he hath perfected for 
ever them that are sanctified. Heb. 10 : 9, 

10. 14. 

Amalek (dm'a-Uk), people of prey, booty. 
The son of Eliphaz, and grandson of 
Esau. Gen. 36 : 16 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 36. He was 
probably the father of the Amalekites, 
an ancient and powerful people. Gen. 14 : 
7 ; Num. 24 : 20, who inhabited the regions 
on the south of Palestine, between Idumea 
and Egypt, and also to the eastward of the 
Dead Sea and Mount Seir. Judg. 5 : 14 ; 12 : 
15 ; 1 Sam. 15 : 5. The Hebrews had scarcely 
22 



passed the Red Sea, wh«n the Amalekites 
attacked them; they were defeated by 
Joshua. Ex. 17 : 8. Saul destroyed them as 
a nation, 1 Sam. 15 : 2-33, and David utterly 
routed them. 1 Sam. 30 : 17. A small rem- 
nant seems to have escaped, till at last the 
word of the Lord was fulfilled, and their 
name was blotted from the earth, in their 
utter destruction. Num. 24 : 20 ; 1 Chron. 4 : 
43. The "Agagite," in Esth. 3 : 1, 10 ; 8 : 3, 5, 
was probably an Amalekite, whose ancestor 
had escaped from the general carnage. 

Amana (dm'a-nah, or a-md'nah), peren- 
nial. 1. Margin, same as Abana or Abanah 
(R. V.) 2 Kings 5 : 12. See Abana. 2. A 
ridge or peak of the Lebanon range, in 
which the river Amana or Abana has its 
source. Song of Sol. 4 : 8. 

Amasa {dm'a-sah), burden. 1. A kins- 
man of David, and chief captain in Absa- 
lom's rebel army. David pardoned Amasa, 
but he was assassinated by Joab. 2 Sam. 
17 : 25 ; 19 : 13 ; 20 : 9, 10 ; 1 Chron. 2 : 17. 
2. A descendant of Ephraim. 2 Chron. 28 : 
12. 

Aiuasai (a-mds'a-a, or dm'a-sd-i), burden- 
some. 1. A Levite, one of the sons of Elka- 
nah. 1 Chron. 6 : 25. 2. A chief of the 
captains who joined David in the desert. 

1 Chron. 12 : 18. 3. One of the Levites. 1 
Chron. 15 : 24. 4. The father of Mahath. 

2 Chron. 29 : 12. 

Amaziah {dm-a-zl'ah), whom Jehovah 
strengthens. 1. The son and successor of 
Jehoash, or Joash, king of Judah. He was 
25 years old at his accession, and he reigned 
29 years, 838-809 B. c. His conduct was, at 
first, unexceptionable; but he aften\'ards 
declined from God's law, and brought mis- 
fortune and judgment upon himself and 
his kingdom. The history does not tell us 
that he repented; for the consequences 
of his idolatry still pursued him. His own 
subjects conspired against him, and, when 
he fled to Lachish, slew him there. He was 
succeeded by his son Azariah, or Uzziah. 
2 Kings 14 : 1-21 ; 2 Chron. 25. 2. ASimeon- 
ite. 1 Chron. 4 : 34. 3. A Levite. 1 Chron. 
6 : 45. 4. An idolatrous priest of the golden 
calf at Bethel, in the reign of Jeroboam II. 
Amos 7 : 10-17. 

Amber. Ezek. 1 : 4, 27 ; 8:2. Most likely 
the substance called " amber " in our ver- 
sions is not that which is now known by 
that name. It is rather a metal. Some 
have beheved it a mixture of brass (or cop- 
per) and gold, or brass with a gold-like 
brilhancy. 

Amen [d-mSn'), firm, faithful, verily. The 
proper signification of this word is that 
one person confirms the words of another, 
and expresses his wish for the success and 
accomplishment of the other's vows and 
declarations. Thus it is used in Num. 5: 
22 ; Deut. 27 : 15-26 ; 1 Kings 1 : 36 ; Jer. 28 : 
6. Also after ascriptions of praise, Ps. 106 : 
48 ; and in A. V. of Matt. 6 ;12, but omitted 
in R. V. Again, we find it at the beginning 
of a sentence, to signify the firm certainty 
of what was about to be said, as very fre- 
quently in our Lord's addresses (Matt. 25 : 
40 ; John 3 : 8, 5, 11, and in other places), 
where it is usually rendered " verily," The 



AMETHYST 



OF THE BIBLE. 



AMORITES 



promises of the gospel, too, are said to be 
"yea, and amen," 2 Cor. 1:20, to indicate 
their stability. And once the word is used 
as a proper name, Rev. 3:14, applied to 
him from whose hps every syllable is as- 
sured truth ; so that, though heaven and 
earth should pass, nothing that he has 
spoken can remain unaccomphshed. Matt. 
24:35. 

Amethyst. One of the precious stones 
in the high priest's sacred breast-plate. Ex. 
28 : 19 ; 39 : 12. The oriental amethyst is a 
gem of gi'eat hardness and lustre, violet, 
and occasionally red ; the occidental ame- 
thyst is a variety of quartz, of much beauty, 
but not difllcult to cut. This stone had its 
Hebrew name, aMdmah, from its supposed 
property of inducing dreams. Its Greek 
name, from which the EngUsh word comes, 
implied that it was a charm against drunk- 
enness. The amethyst is mentioned as one 
of the foundations of the New Jerusalem. 
Rev. 21 : 20. 

Araminadab {am-min'a-dab), kindred of 
the prince. 1. The son of Ram or Aram, 
who was great-grandson of Judah. His 
daughter, Elisheba, was the wife of Aaron ; 
and his son Naashon, or Nahshon, prince of 
Judah in the wilderness. Ex. 6 : 23 ; Num. 1 : 
7 ; 2 : 3 ; 7 : 12, 17 ; 10 : 14 ; Ruth 4 : 19, 20 ; 1 
Chron.2:10. 2. A son of Kohath. IChron. 
6 : 22. This is possibly a transcriber's error, as 
elsewhere generally, Ex. 6 : 18 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 
2, 18, he is called Izhar. 3. The chief in 
David's time of the sons of Uzziel, a Levite, 
son of Kohath. 1 Chron. 15 : 10, 11. 

Ainminadib, companions of the prince. 
This occurs in Song of Sol. 6 : 12. But in the 
margin it is my luilling people, A. V. ; my 
princely people, R. V., and probably the 
word should not be taken as a proper name, 

Ammon, Ammonites, Children of 
Ammon {dm'mon, dm'mon-Ues), strong peo- 
ple, or, perhaps, the same as Ben-ammi, 
son of my kindred. A people descended 
from Ben-ammi, the son of Lot by his 
younger daughter, Gen. 19 : 38 ; comp. Ps. 
83 : 7, 8, as Moab was by the elder ; and 
dating from the destruction of Sodom. The 
near relation between the two peoples in- 
dicated in the story of their origin contin- 
ued throughout their existence. Comp. 
Judg. 10 : 6 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 1 ; Zeph. 2 : 8, etc. 
Indeed, so close was their union, and so 
near their identity, that each would appear 
to be occasionally spoken of under the 
name of the other. Unhke Moab, the pre- 
cise position of the territory of the Am- 
monites is not ascertainable. In the ear- 
liest mention of them, Deut. 2 : 20, they 
are said to have destroyed the Rephaim, 
whom they called the Zamzummim, and to 
have dwelt in their place, Jabbok being 
their border. Num. 21 : 24 ; Deut. 2 : 37 ; 3 : 
16. " Land," or " country," is, however, but 
rarely ascribed to them, nor is there any 
reference to those habits and circumstances 
of civihzation, which so constantly recur 
in the allusions to Moab. Isa. 15, 16 ; Jer. 
48. On the contrary, we find everywhere 
traces of the fierce habits of marauders in 
their incursions. 1 Sam. 11 : 2 ; Amos 1 : 13. 
It appears that Moab was the settled and 



civiUzed half of the nation of Lot, and 
that Ammon formed its predatory and Be- 
douin section. On the west of Jordan they 
never obtained a footing. The hatred in 
which the Ammonites were held by Israel 
is stated to have arisen partly from their 
opposition, or, rather, their denial of as- 
sistance, Deut. 23 : 4, 5, to the IsraeUtes on 
their approach to Canaan. But whatever 
its origin the animosity continued in force 
to the latest date. The tribe was governed 
by a king, Judg. 11 : 12, etc. ; 1 Sam. 12 : 12 ; 
2 Sam. 10 : 1 ; Jer. 40 : 14 ; and by " princes," 
2 Sam. 10 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 19 : 3. It has been 
conjectured that Nahash, 1 Sam. 11 : 1 ; 2 
Sam. 10 : 2, was the official title of the king 
as Pharaoh was of the Egyptian monarchs ; 
but this is without any sure foundation. 
The divinity of the tribe was Molech, gen- 
erally named in the Old Testament under 
the altered form of Milcom— " the abomi- 
nation of the children of Ammon;" and 
Malcham. Zeph. 1:5. In more than one 
passage under the word rendered "their 
king" in the A. V. an allusion is intended 
to this idol. 

Amnon (am'non), faithful. The eldest 
son of David, by Ahinoam of Jezreel. 2 Sam. 
3:2. He is known only by his guilt in vio- 
lating his half-sister Tamar ; for which Ab- 
salom, two years after, caused him to be 
assassinated, 2 Sam. 13, thus also getting an 
elder brother out of his way to the throne. 

Amon {d'mon), an Egyptian divinity, 
whose name occurs in that of No-amon, 
Nah. 3:8 R. V., but in A. V. " populous 
No," or Thebes, also called No. The Greeks 
called this divinity Ammon. The ancient 
Egyptian name is Amen. Amen was one of 
the ei^ht gods of the first order, and chief of 
the triad of Thebes. He was worshiped at 
that city as Amen-ra, or "Amen the sun." 

Amon (d'mon), builder. King of Judah, 
son and successor of Manasseh, reigned two 
years from b. c. 642 to 640. Following his 
father's example, Amon devoted himself 
wholly to the service of false gods, but was 
killed in a conspiracy. The people avenged 
him by putting all the conspirators to death, 
and secured the succession to his son Jo- 
siah. To Amon's reign we must refer the 
terrible picture which the prophet Zephan- 
iah gives of the moral and reUgious state 
of Jerusalem. 2. A governor of Samaria. 
1 Kings 22 : 26. 3. A person also called Ami. 

Amorites (drn'o-rltes), mountaineers. Gen. 
10 : 16. A Syrian tribe descended from Ca- 
naan, and among the most formidable of 
the tribes with whom the Israelites con- 
tended. They were of gigantic stature and 
great courage, Amos 2 : 9, and inhabited 
one of the most fertile districts of the coun- 
try, being bounded on three sides by the 
rivers Anion, Jabbok, and Jordan. The 
Israehtes asked permission of the king to 
travel through their territory, promising to 
injure nothing, not even to draw water 
from their wells; but the request was re- 
fused. The Amorites collected and at- 
tempted to oppose their progress, but were 
totally defeated, and their territory taken 
and divided between the tribes of Reuben 
and Gad. 

23 



AMOS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ANGEL 



Amos {d'mos), burden. 1. The third of 
the minor prophets was a shepherd of Te- 
koa, a small town of Judah. He prophe- 
sied concerning Israel, in the days of Uz- 
ziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam the 
Second, king of Israel, about b. c. 790. The 
book of Amos takes a high rank among 
the writings of the prophets. The writer 
must have been a man of some education, 
as is evident from his obsen^ations relating 
to geography, history, and astronomy. He 
is full of fancy and imagery, concise, and 
yet simple and perspicuous. Amos 1 : 1, 7, 
10-17. 2. A son of Nahum, R. V., or Nainn, 
A. v., of Luke 3 : 25. 

Amphipolis (am-flp'o-lts), around the 
city. A chief city of the southern portion 
of Macedonia under the Romans. The 
river Strymon flowed on both sides of the 
city, hence its name. It was 33 miles south- 
west of Phihppi, and three miles from the 
sea. Paul and Silas passed through it. 
Acts 17 : 1. Neo-khorio, or Newtown, a vil- 
lage of about 100 houses, now occupies a 
portion of the site of Amphipohs. 

Amraphel {dm'ra-fel), keeper, or highest 
of the gods. Perhaps a Hamite king of Shi- 
nar or Babylonia, who joined the victorious 
incursion of the Elamite Chedorlaomer 
against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah 
and the cities of the plain. Gen. 14 : 1, 

Anakim (dn'a-Mm), long-necked, i. e., 
men of tall stature. Anak, the son of Arba, 
had three sons, who were giants, and were 
founders of a Canaanitish tribe, famous for 
their stature and fierceness. The seat of 
the tribe before the invasion by the He- 
brews was in the vicinity of Hebron. 
They were nearly extirpated by the He- 
l?rews so that only a few remained after- 
wards in the cities of the Phihstines, Nmn. 
13 : 22 ; Deut. 9:2; Josh. 11 : 21, 22 ; 14 : 15 ; 
and Jer. 47 : 5, which in the Septuagint 
reads : " remnant of the Anakim " that is 
cut oflT. 

Anammelecli. See Adrammalecli. 

Ananias {dn-a-nl'as), whom Jehovah cov- 
ers, i. e., protects. 1. A high priest in Acts 
23:2-5; 24:1. He was the son of Nebe- 
daeus, succeeded Joseph son of Camydus, 
and preceded Ismael son of Phabi. He 
was nominated to the office by Herod king 
of Chalcis, in a. d. 48 ; M'^as deposed shortly 
before Fehx left the province, and assassin- 
ated by the sicarii at the beginning of the 
last Jewish war. 2. A false disciple at Je- 
rusalem, husband of Sapphira. Acts 5 : 1- 
11. Having sold his goods for the benefit of 
the church, he kept back a part of the price, 
bringing to the apostles the remainder, as 
if it were the whole, his wife also being 
privy to the scheme. Peter denounced 
the fraud, and Ananias fell down and ex- 
pired. 3. A Jewish disciple at Damascus, 
Acts 9 : 10-17, of high repute, Acts 22 : 12, 
who sought out Saul during the period of 
blindness and dejection which followed 
his conversion, and announced to him his 
future commission as a preacher of the gos- 
-pel. Tradition makes him to have been 
afterwards bishop of Damascus, and to have 
died by martyrdom. 

Anathema {a-ndth'e-mah), set apart, sep- 

24 



arated, devoted. This Greek word repre- 
sents a Hebrew phrase which generally 
denoted among the Jews the absolute, irrev- 
ocable and entire separation of a person 
from the communion of the faithful, or 
from the privileges of society, or from the 
number of the living ; or the devoting of 
any man, animal, city or thing, to be extir- 
pated, destroyed, consumed, and, as it were, 
annihilated. Josh. 6 : 17-21 ; 7 : 1-26. An- 
other kind of anathema, very peculiarly ex- 
pressed, occurs in 1 Cor. 16:22: " If any 
man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him 
lae anathema. Maranatha." This last word is 
made up of two Syro-Chaldaic words, sig- 
nifying "The Lord cometh; " that is, the 
Lord will surely come, and will execute 
tills curse by condemning those who love 
him not. 

Anatliotli {dn'a-th6th), answers or echoes. 
A Levitical city in Benjamin, Josh. 21 : 18 ; 
1 Chron. 6 : 60 ; the birthplace of Jeremiah, 
Jer. 1:1; 11 : 21, 23 ; 32 : 7-9 ; on the route 
of the Assyrians, Isa. 10 : 30 ; some of its 
people returned with Zerubbabel, E2xa 2 : 
23; Neh. 7:27. 

Andrew (dn'dru), manly. One of the 
apostles, the brother— whether older or 
younger is not known — of Simon Peter, 
with whom it would seem he lived. Mark 
1 : 29. He was of Bethsaida, and became one 
of the disciples of John the Baptist, at whose 
word he followed Jesus, and afterwards 
brought his brother Simon. John 1 : 40- 
44. The order in which Andrew is named 
varies in different places ; but generally he 
stands next after the three chiefs, and is 
associated with Pliihp. There are but a 
few scattered notices of him in the evan- 
geUc history. Mark 13 : 3 ; John 6 : 8, 9 ; 
12 : 22. After the resurrection he is enu- 
merated with the rest of the eleven (Acts 
1 : 13) ; and then we hear no more of nim. 
Tradition has been busy with Ms later his- 
torj' ; and he is said to have been crucified 
at Patrse in Achaia, on a cross formed like 
the letter X, which has hence been called 
" St. Andrew's Cross." 

An^^el. Gen. 24 : 7. The word for angel, 
both m the Greek and Hebrew languages, 
signifies a messenger, and in this sense is 
often applied to men. 2 Sam. 2:5; Luke 
7 : 24 and 9 : 52. When the term is used, as 
it generally is, to designate spiritual beings, 
it denotes the office they sustain as the 
agents by whom God makes known his 
will and executes his government. Our 
knowledge of such beings is derived wholly 
from revelation, and that rather incident- 
ally. We know, from their residence and 
employment, that they must possess knowl- 
edge and purity far beyond our present 
conceptions, and the titles applied to them 
denote the exalted place they hold among 
created intelligences. Christdid not come 
to the rescue of angels, but of men. Comp. 
Heb. 2 : 16. The angels are represented as 
ministering spirits sent forth to do service 
to the heirs of salvation. Heb. 1 : 14. They 
appear at every important stage in the his- 
tory of revelation, especially at the birth 
of Christ, Luke 2 : 9-13 ; in his agony in 
Gethsemane, Luke 22 : 43 ; at his resurrec- 



ANISE 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ANOINTING 



tion, Matt. 28 : 2 ; Mark 16 : 5 ; Luke 24 : 4, 
and at the final judgment, Matt. 13 : 41. Of 
their appearance and employment we may 
form some idea from the following passages, 
viz., Gen. 16: 7-11. Compare Gen. 18 : 2 ; 19: 
1, with Heb. 13:2; Judg. 13:6; Ezek. 10; 
Dan. 3 : 28 and 6 : 22 ; Matt. 4 : 11 ; 18 : 10 
and 28 : 2-7 ; Luke 1 : 19 ; 16 : 22 and 22 : 43 ; 
Acts6:15; 12:7; Heb. 1:14; 2:16; 2Thess. 
1:7; Rev. 10:1, 2, 6. Of their number 
some idea may be inferred from 1 Kings 22 : 
19; Ps. 68:17; Dan. 7:10; Matt. 26:53; 
Luke 2 : 9-14 ; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 12 : 22. Of 
their strength we may judge from Ps. 103 : 
20 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 11 ; Rev. 5:2; 18 : 21 ; 19 : 17. 
And we learn their inconceivable activity 
from Judg. 13 : 20; Isa. 6:2-6; Matt. 13 :49 ; 
26 : 53 ; Acts 27 : 23 ; Rev. 8 : 12, 13 ; but the 
R. V. reads "eagle" in verse 13. There is 
also an order of evil spirits ministering to 
the will of the prince of darkness, and both 
active and powerful in their opposition to 
God. Matt. 25 : 41. Though Scripture does 
not warrant us to affirm that each individ- 
ual has his particular guardian angel, it 
teaches very explicitly that angels minister 
to every Christian. Matt. 18 : 10 ; Ps. 91 : 11, 
12 ; Luke 15 : 10 ; Acts 12 : 15 ; Heb. 1 : 14. 
They are the companions of the saved. 
Heb. 12 : 22, 23 ; Rev. 6 : 11. They are to 
sustain an important office in the future 
and final administration of God's govern- 
ment on earth. Matt. 13 : 39 ; 25 : 31-33 ; 1 
Thess. 4 : 16. But they are not proper ob- 
jects of adoration. Col. 2 : 18 ; Rev. 19 : 10. 
Angel of his Presence, Isa. 63 : 9, by some 
is supposed to denote the highest angel in 
heaven, as Gabriel, who stands "in the 
presence of God," Luke 1:19; but others 
believe it refers to the incarnate Word. 
Angel of the Lord, Gen. 16 : 7, is consid- 
ered, by some, one of the common titles 
of Christ in the Old Testament. Ex. 23 : 
20. Compare Acts 7 : 30-32 and 37, 38. An- 
gel of the church. Rev. 2:1. The only 
true interpretation of this -phrase is the one 
which makes the angels the rulers and 
teachers of the congregation, so called be- 
cause they were the ambassadors of God to 
the churches, and on them devolved the 
pastoral care and government. 

Anise, a well-known annual herb, re- 
sembling caraway, etc., but more fragrant. 
The plant mentioned in Matt. 23 : 23 was no 
doubt the dill, which grows in Palestine, 
and was tithed by scrupulous Jews. 

Anna {dn'nah), grace, a prophetess, 
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. 
Luke 2 : 36. Her husband having died 
after she had been married seven years, 
she devoted herself to the Lord, and was 
very constant in her attendance on the 
services of the temple. She did not, how- 
ever, live in the temple itself. At 84 years 
of age she listened to the prophetic bless- 
ing which Simeon uttered when he held 
the infant Redeemer in his arms, and 
joined in it with great fervor. 

Annas {(in'nas), answer, response. The 
son of Seth, and a high priest of the Jews. 
He was appointed by Quirinus, governor 
of Syria, a. d. 7, and was removed by Va- 
lerius Gratus, procurator of Judaea, a. d. 23. 



The office was originally held for life, but 
in Judaea's degenerate and dependent posi- 
tion it was one of the spoils of office, to be 
given to the ruler's favorite, and to be 
taken away upon the loss of favor. After 
his deposition Annas continued to hold the 
title ; and although Caiaphas, his son-in- 
law, was the actual high priest, he was the 
ruling power. This explains the reference 
in Luke 3 : 2. This power he retained for 
nearly fifty years, having had five sons in 
succession in the high priest's office. Our 
Lord was brought first before Annas on the 
night of his seizure. John 18 : 13, 24. The 
guilt of Christ's crucifixion rests most upon 
Annas, since Pilate tried to shield him, and 
Caiaphas was but Annas' tool. Annas is 
mentioned as the president of the San- 
hedrin, before whom Peter and John were 
brought. Acts 4:6. 

Anointing in Holy Scripture is either: 
I., with oil ; or II., with the Holy Ghost. I. 
With oil. 1. Anointing the body or head with 
oil was a common practice with the Jews, 
as with other oriental nations. Deut. 28 : 40 ; 
Ruth 3:3; Micah 6 : 15. Abstinence from it 
was a sign of mourning. 2 Sam. 14 : 2 ; Dan. 
10 : 3 ; Matt. 6 : 17. Anointing the head 
with oil or ointment seems also to have 
been a mark of respect sometimes paid by 
a host to his guests. Luke 7 : 46 and Ps. 
23 : 5. The bodies of the dead were often 
anointed, not with a view to preserve them 
from corruption, but to impart a fragrancy 
to the hnen in which the corpse was 
wrapped. Mark 14 : 8 ; 16 : 1 ; Luke 23 : 56 ; 
John 19 : 39, 40. 2. Anointing Avith oil was 
a rite of inauguration into each of the 
three typical offices of the Jewish common- 
wealth, (a) Prophets were occasionally 
anointed to their office, 1 Kings 19 : 16, and 
are called messiahs, or anointed. 1 Chron. 
16 : 22 ; Ps. 105 : 15. (6) Priests, at the first 
institution of the Levitical priesthood, were 
all anointed to their offices, the sons of 
Aaron as well as Aaron himself, Ex. 40 : 15 ; 
Num. 3:3; but afterwards, anointing seems 
not to have been repeated at the consecra- 
tion of ordinary priests, but to have been 
especially reserved for the high priest, Ex. 
29:29; Lev. 16:32; so that "the priest 
that is anointed," Lev. 4:3, is generally 
thought to mean the high priest, (c) Kings. 
Anointing was the principal and divinely 
appointed ceremony in the inauguration of 
the Jewish kings. 1 Sam. 9 : 16 ; 10 : 1 ; 1 
Kings 1 : 34, 39. The rite was sometimes 
performed more than once. David was 
thrice anointed to be king. After the sep- 
aration into two kingdoms, the kings both 
of Judah and of Israel seem still to have 
been anointed, 2 Kings 9:3; 11:12. {d) 
Inanimate objects also were anointed with 
oil in token of their being set apart for re- 
ligious service. Thus Jacob anointed a 
pillar at Bethel, Gen. 31 : 13 ; and at the in- 
troduction of the Mosaic economy, the 
tabernacle and all its furniture were con- 
secrated by anointing. Ex. 30 : 26-28. 3. 
Ecclesiastical. Anointing with oil in the 
name of the Lord is prescribed by James 
to be used together with prayer, by the 
elders of the church, for the recovery of 

25 



ANTICHRIST 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



APHARSATHCHITES 



the sick. Jas. 5 : 14, Analogous to this is 
the anointing with oil practised by the 
twelve. Mark 6 : 13. II. With the Holy 
Ghost. 1. In the Old Testament a Dehv- 
erer is promised under the title of Messiah, 
or Anointed, Ps. 2:2; Dan. 9:24-26; and 
the nature of his anointing is described to 

■ be spiritual, with the Holy Ghost. Isa. 61 : 
1 ; see Luke 4 : 18. In the New Testament 
Jesus of Nazareth is shown to be the Mes- 
siah or Christ, or anointed of the Old Tes- 
tament, John 1 : 41 ; Acts 9 : 22 ; 17 : 2, 3 ; 18 : 
4, 5, 28 ; and the historical fact of his being 

1 anointed with the Holy Ghost is asserted 
and recorded. Acts 10 : 38 ; 4 : 27 ; John 1 : 
82, 33. 2. Spiritual anointing with the 
Holy Ghost is conferred also upon Chris- 
tians by God, 2 Cor. 1 : 21, and they are 
described as having an unction from the 
Holy One, by which they know all things. 
1 John 2 : 20, 27. 

Antichrist. This term is employed by 
the apostle John alone, who defines it in a 
manner which leaves no doubt as to its 
meaning. Its appUcation is less certain. 
In the first passage — 1 John 2 : 18— in which 
it occurs, the apostle makes direct reference 
to the false Christs whose coming, it had 
been foretold, should mark the last days. 
In verse 22 we find, "he is antichrist, that 
denieth the Father and the Son ; " and still 
more positively, " every spirit that confes- 
seth not that Jesus Christ Is come in the 
flesh is of antichrist." Comp. 2 John 7. 
From these definitions it has been supposed 
that the object of the apostle in his first 
epistle was to combat the errors of Cerin- 
thus, the Docetse and the Gnostics, who 
denied the union of the di^^ne and human 
nature in Christ. The coming of Antichrist 
was believed to be foretold in the "vile 
person " of Daniel's prophecy, Dan. 11 : 21, 
which received its first accomplishment in 
Antiochus Epiphanes, but of which the 
complete fulfilhiient was reserved for the 
last times. He is identified with " the man 
of sin, the son of perdition." 2 Thess. 2 : 3. 
This interpretation brings Antichrist into 
close connection with the gigantic power 
of evil, symbolized by the " beast," Rev. 13, 
who received his power from the dragon 
{i. e., the devil, the serpent of Genesis), who 
was invested with the kingdom of the ten 
kings. Rev. 17 : 12, 17. The destruction of 
Babylon is to be followed by the rule of 
Antichrist for a short period. Rev. 17 : 10, to 
be in his turn overthrown in " the battle of 
that §-reat day of God Almighty," Rev. 16 : 
14, with the false prophet and all his fol- 
lowers. Rev. 19. The personality of Anti- 
christ is to be inferred as well from the per- 
sonahty of his historical precursor, as from 
that of him to whom he stands opposed. 
Such an interpretation is to be preferred to 
that which regards Antichrist as the em- 
bodiment and personification of all powers 
and agencies inimical to Christ, or of the 
Antichristian might of the world. But the 
language of the apostles is obscure, and this 
obscurity has been deepened by the con- 
flicting interpretations of expositors. All 
that the dark hints of the apostles teach us 
is, that they regarded Antichrist as a power 
26 



whose influence was beginning to be felt 
even in their time, but whose full develop- 
ment was reserved till the passing away of 
the principle which hindered it, and the 
destruction of the power symbolized by the 
mystical Babylon. The word antichrist 
does not always mean openly opposed to 
Christ, but putting something in the place 
of Christ. Any person teaching any way to 
God, excepting through Christ, is Anti- 
christ. Any person teacliing any way of 
salvation, excepting through the blood of 
Christ, is Antichrist. John says that in his 
day, "Now are there many antichrists." 
1 John 2 : 18. The papal church, putting its 
traditions in the place of the Scriptures, 
putting the Virgin Mary, the saints, the 
Pope, the priest, good works, the mass, pur- 
gatory, etc., as the way of salvation, in 
place of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ, is pre-eminently Antichrist. 

Antiocli {&n'ti-6k), place that withstands 
(from Antiochus). The name of two cities 
in New Testament times. 1. Antioch in 
Syria, Acts 11 : 19, 22, founded by Seleucus 
Nicator, about 300 B. c, and enlarged by 
Antiochus Epiphanes. This city was about 
300 miles north of Jerusalem, on the left 
bank of the river Orontes, Vo% miles from 
the Mediterranean, in a deep pass between 
the Lebanon and the Taurus ranges of 
mountains. At Antioch the disciples were 
first called Christians, Acts 11 : 26 ; it was an 
important centre for the spread of the gos- 
pel. Acts 13 ; from it Paul started on his 
missionary journeys. Acts 15 : 35, 36 ; 18 : 22, 
23 ; important principles of Christian faith 
and practice were raised and settled through 
the church at Antioch. Acts 14 : 26, 27 ; 15 : 
2-30 ; Gal. 2 : 11-14. It was made a " free " 
city by Pompey, was beautified by the em- 
perors with aqueducts, baths, and public 
buildings; and in Paul's time it ranked 
third in population, wealth and commer- 
cial activity among the cities of the Roman 
empire. Christianity gained such strength 
there, that in the time of Chrysostom, who 
was born at Antioch, one-half of the 200,000 
inhabitants of the city were Christians. 
The old town, which was five miles long, 
is now represented by a mean, shrunken- 
looking place of about 6000 population, 
called Antakieh. 2. Antioch in or near 
Pisidia was also founded or rebuilt by Seleu- 
cus Nicator. It was situated on a ridge — 
Strabo calls it a " height "—near the foot 
of the mountain-range, and by the north- 
ern shore of Lake Eyerdir. Paul preached 
there. Acts 13 : 14 ; 14 : 21, and was perse- 
cuted by the people. 2 Tim. 3 : 11. There 
were at least sixteen cities of the name of 
Antioch in Syria and Asia Minor. 

Antipatris (an-tip'a-trls), Jot the father. 
A city of Palestine, situated in the midst of 
a fertile and well-watered plain, between 
Csesarea and Lydda, called by Josephus, 
"the plain of Caphar Saba." It was re- 
built by Herod the Great, and called "Antip- 
atris," in honor of his father, Antipater. 
Its ancient splendor has passed away ; it is 
now marked by the ruins called Pas-el Ain. 
Acts 23 : 31. 

Apliarsatlichites, Apharsites, A- 



APHEJC 



OP THE BIBLE. 



APOSTLE 



pharsachites (a-fdr'sath-kltes, a-fdr'sltes, 
a-fdr'sak-Ues). Colonists from Assyria to 
Samaria. Ezra 4:9; 5:6; 6:6. 

Aphek {d'fek), strength. The name of 
several towns, 1. A royal city of the Ca- 
naanites whose king was slain by Joshua. 
Josh. 12:18. It was near Hebron, and 
probably the same as Aphekah. Josh. 15 : 
53. 2. A city of Asher, Josh, 19 : 30, in the 
north of Palestine, near Sidon, Josh. 13 : 4 ; 
supposed to be the same as Aphik, Judg. 1 : 
31, and the classical Aphaca, noted in later 
history for its temple of Venus ; now Afka, 
near Lebanon. 3, A place where the Phil- 
istines encamped before the ark was taken, 
1 Sam. 4 : 1, northwest of Jerusalem and 
near Shocho, now Belled el-Foka, 4. A 
place near Jezreel, in Issachar, where the 
Philistines were, before defeating Saul, 1 
Sam. 29 : 1, and cannot be identifaed with 
No. 3, as some have suggested. 5, A walled 
city in the plains of Syria, on the road to 
Damascus, 1 Kings 20 : 26, 30 ; 2 Kings 13 : 
17. It was about six miles east of the Sea 
of Galilee ; now called Fik. 

Apocrypha. The name given gener- 
ally to certain ancient books and parts of 
books often appended to the scriptures of 
the Old Testament, some of which are held 
by the Roman Catholic church to be of 
canonical and divine authority. The West- 
minster Confession and the Church of Eng- 
land allow the books to be read for exam- 
ple of life and instruction of manners ; but 
yet doth not apply them to establish any 
doctrine. They are regarded as human 
writings, not inspired. They are : 

The third book of Esdras ) [Esdras 

The fourth book of Esdras ]" 1 and 2.] 

The book of Tobias [Tobit]. 

The book of Judith. 

The Rest of the book of Esther. 

The book of Wisdom. 

Je^us the son of Sirach [Ecclesiasticus]. 

Baruch the Prophet. 

The Song of the Three Children, 

The Story of Susanna. 

Of Bel and the Dragon. 

The Prayer of Manasses. 

The first book of Maccabees, 

The second book of Maccabees, 

There are also some apocryphal writings 
claiming a place among the books of the 
New Testament ; but, as these have never 
been recognized in the Christian church, 
they require no notice here, 

Apollonia {ap-pol-lo'ni-a), belonging to 
Apollo. The name of several places in Eu- 
rope and Asia, of which Apollonia in Illy- 
ria was the most celebrated. But the Apol- 
lonia through which Paul passed. Acts 17 : 
1, was a city of Macedonia, about 36 miles 
east of Thessalonica, and 30 miles south- 
west of Amphipolis. 

Apollos (a-pol'los), probably abbreviated 
from Apollomos, giveii by ApoUo. A Jew 
from Alexandria, eloquent (which may also 
mean learned) and mighty in the Scrip- 
tures : one instructed in the way of the 
Lord, as taught by the disciples of John 
the Baptist. Acts 18 : 25. On his coming 
to Ephesus during a temporary absence 
of Paul, Ap®llos was more perfectly taught 



by Aquila and Priscilla. After this he 
preached the gospel, first in Achaia and 
then in Corinth, Acts 18:27; 19:1; where 
he watered that which Paul had planted. 
1 Cor. 3 : 6. When Paul wrote his first Epis- 
tle to the Corinthians, Apollos was with or 
near him, 1 Cor. 16 : 12, probably at Ephe- 
sus in A, D. 57. He is mentioned once more 
in the New Testament. Tit. 3 : 13. Some 
suppose Apollos wrote the Epistle to the 
Hebrews. 

ApoUyon. Rev. 9 : 11. See Abaddon. 

Apostle. The official title, implying 
messenger, of the twelve disciples whom 
our Lord chose, "that they should be with 
him, and that ne might send them forth to 
preach." These twelve were arranged in 
three groups, Simon Peter and his brother 
Andrew, with James and John, the two 
sons of Zebedee; then PhiUp, Bartholo- 
mew, Thomas, and Matthew ; and, lastly, 
James, the son of Alpheus, Lebbeus (called 
Thaddeus, Judas, and Jude), Simon zelotes 
or the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. 
Matt. 10 : 1-4 ; Mark 3 : 13-19 ; Luke 6 : 12- 
16 ; comp. Acts 1 : 13. While Matthew nar- 
rates the sending forth of the. apostles to 
preach, Mark and Luke describe the choice 
of them ; and this choice, it appears, was 
made upon a mountain, not improbably 
that well-known horned hill oi Hattin 
where also the notable sermon on the 
mount was probably delivered. Some time 
after their appointment the apostles were 
sent forth to preach and perform miracles, 
a special charge being given them. Matt. 
10:1, 5-42; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6. 
They generally, however, accompanied 
their Master, witnessed his mighty works, 
heard the explanation of his parables, and 
were the selected company at the institu- 
tion ef the last supper. One, however, 
Judas, betrayed him ; and when Jesus was 
seized they all forsook him. Matt. 26 : 47- 
56. One or two had courage to attend his 
examination, John 18 : 15, 16, and one was 
present at his execution. John 19 : 26, But, 
so far as appears, they took no part in the 
Lord's burial, and could hardly be per- 
suaded that he was risen. After his resur- 
rection, the eleven, the traitor having hung 
himself, had frequent interviews with him, 
and witnessed his ascension. Luke 24 : 50, 
51. According to their Master's command, 
they continued at Jerusalem, waiting for 
the promised gift of the Holy Ghost. One 
was ap^inted to fill the place of Judas. 
The Scripture account is as follows: "Hia 
bishopric let another take. Wherefore of 
these men which have companied with us 
all the time that the Lord Jesus went in 
and out among us, beginning from the bap- 
tism of John, unto that same day that he 
was taken up from us, must one be or- 
dained to be a witness with us of his resur- 
rection." Matthias was chosen by lot to fill 
the place of. Judas. Acts 1 : 20-26. After 
the day of Pentecost the apostles were no 
longer fearful and temporizing; they 
preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 
They took the lead, as the acknowledged 
heads of the movement, verses 12, 13, de- 
voted themselves to ministerial labor, Acts 

27 



APPII FORUM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



AEABU 



6 : 2-4, exercised peculiar powers, 8 : 14-18, 
and had primary authority in the church. 
Acts 9 : 27 ; 15 : 2 ; 1 Cor. 9:1; 12 : 28 ; 
2 Cor. 10 : 8 ; 12 : 12 ; Gal. 1 : 17 ; 2:8, 9. 
Two centres and two departments of apos- 
tolic working are described in the Acts of 
the Apostles ; from Jerusalem among the 
Jews by Peter, from Antioch by Paul 
among the Gentiles. For Paul was extraor- 
dinarily appointed to the apostleship by 
Christ, Gal. 1:1; and others seem to have 
been added, as Barnabas, Acts 14 : 14 ; and 
according to the behef of some writers 
many more. Scripture says but little of 
the personal history of most of the apos- 
tles ; but what is known of each will be 
found under their respective names. The 
title is once given to our Lord. Heb. 3 : 1. 

Appii Forum {Qp'py-t-fd'ricm), forum, or 
market-place of Appius. A well-known sta- 
tion on the Appian road, which led from 
Eome to Capua. It doubtless derived its 
name from Appius Claudius, who con- 
structed the road. It was about 43 Roman 
miles from Rome, and its site is marked by 
some ruins near Treponti. A body of Chris- 
tians from Rome met Paul at this place. 
Acts 28 : 15. 

Apple Tree, Apple (Heb. tappuach). 
Apple tree is named in the English Versions 
in Song of Sol. 2:3; 8:5, and Joel 1 : 12, 
The frmt of this tree is alluded to in Prov. 
25 : 11 and Song of Sol. 2 : 5 ; 7 :8. Itis dif- 
ficult to say what tree is intended by the 
Hebrew word tappuach. The apple proper 
is rare in Syria, and its fruit poor. Some 
writers say the Hebrew word means either 
the quince or the citron ; others speak of 
the apricot, which is abundant and de- 
hciously perfumed. On the other hand. 
Dr. Royle says, " The rich color, fragrant 
odor and handsome appearance of the 
citron, whether in flower or in fruit, are 
particularly suited to the passages of Scrip- 
ture mentioned above." Neither the quince 
nor the citron nor the apple appears fully 
to answer all the scriptural allusions. The 
orange would answer all the requirements 
of the scriptural passages, and orange trees 
are found m Palestine ; but it is not certain 
that this tree was known in the earlier 
times to the inhabitants of Palestine. The 
question of identification, therefore, must 
still be counted unsettled. 

Apples of Sodom. Found on the shores 
of the Dead Sea ; like a cluster of oranges, 
yellow to the eye, and soft to the touch ; 
but on pressure they explode with a puff, 
leaving only shreds of the rind and fibres. 
The Arabs tAvist the silk into matches for 
their guns. Compare "vine of Sodom" 
and " grapes of gall " in Deut. 32 : 32. 

Aquila (dk'wl-lah), an eagle. A Jew 
of Pontus whom Paul found at Corinth on 
his arrival from Athens. Acts 18 : 2. He 
had fled, Avith his wife Priscilla, from Rome, 
in consequence of an order of Claudius 
commanding all Jews to Idave the city. 
He became acquainted with Paul, and they 
abode together, and wrought at their com- 
mon trade of making the Cilician tent or 
hair cloth. On the departure of the apostle 
from Corinth, a year and six months after, 

28 



Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him to 
Ephesus. There they remained, and there 
they taught Apollos. Acts 18 : 18, 19, 24-26. 
At what time they became Christians is 
uncertain, but they appear to have speci- 
allv helped Paul, and to have labored in 
Rome. Rom. 16 : 3-5. 

Ar (ar) and Ar of Moab. Num. 21 : 28. 
The chief city of Moab, on the east of the 
Salt Sea ; called also Aroer, Deut. 2 : 36 ; 
sometimes used for the whole land of Moab, 
Deut. 2 : 29 ; burned by Sihon. Num. 21 : 
26-30. 

Arabia (a-rd'biah), arid, sterile. A pen- 
insula in the southwestern part of Asia, 
between the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, 
and the Persian Gulf. Its extreme length 
from north to south is about 1300 miles, its 
greatest breadth about 1500 miles, though 
from the northern point of the Red Sea to 
the Persian Gulf is only about 900 miles. 
It has the sea on all sides except the north. 
Its area is estimated at 1,030,000 square 
miles ; and of the three ancient divisions 
of the country, that known as Arabia Fehx 
was by far the largest and most important. 
Its main features are a coast range of low 
mountains or table land, seldom rising 
over 2000 feet, broken on the eastern coast 
by sandy plains ; this plateau is backed up 
by a second loftier range of mountains in 
the east and south. The Sinaitic peninsula 
is a small triangular region in the north- 
western part, or corner, of Arabia. See 
Sinai. The ancients divided it into Pe- 
trsea, Deserta, and Fehx ; or the stony, the 
desert, and the happy or fertile. The prin- 
cipal animals are the horse, famed for its 
form, beauty, and endurance; camels, 
sheep, asses, dogs, the gazelle, tiger, lynx, 
and monkey ; quails, peacocks, parrots, os- 
triches ; vipers, scorpions, and locusts. Of 
fruits and grains, dates, wheat, millet, rice, 
beans, and pulse are common. It is also rich 
in minerals, especially in lead. Arabia in 
early Israehtish history meant a small tract 
of country south and east of Palestine, 
probably the same as that called Kedem, 
or "the east." Gen. 10:30; 25:6; 29:1. 
Arabia in New Testament times appears to 
have been scarcely more extensive. Gal. 
1 : 17 ; 4 : 25. The chief inhabitants were 
known as Ishmaehtes, Arabians, Idume- 
ans, Horites, and Edomites. The allusions 
in the Scripture to the country and its peo- 
ple are very ninnerous. Job is suppiosed to 
have dwelt in Arabia. The forty years of 
wandering by the Israelites under Moses 
was in this land. See Sinai. Solomon re- 
ceived gold from it, 1 Kings 10 : 15 ; 2 
Chron. 9 : 14 ; Jehoshaphat flocks, 2 Chron. 
17 : 11 ; some of its people were at Jerusa- 
lem at the Pentecost, Acts 2 : 11 ; Paul vis- 
ited it. Gal. 1 : 17 ; the prophecies of Isaiah 
and Jeremiah frequently refer to it. Isa. 
21 : 11-13 ; 42 : 11 ; 60 : 7 ; -Jer. 25 : 24 ; 49 : 
28, 29. The Minnaean country to which 
Moses fled, according to recent discov- 
eries, was among the most cultured of 
ancient times, having alphabetic writing 
and Uterary works earUer than the Phoe- 
nicians. It has been said, that if any peo- 
ple in the world afford in their history an 



AHAD 



OP fffS BIBLE. 



AREOPAGUS 



instance of high antiquity and great sim- 

glicity of manners, the Arabs surely do, 
f all peoples, the Arabs have spread far- 
thest over the globe, and in all their wan- 
derings have preserved their language, 
manners, and peculiar customs more per- 
fectly than any other nation. 

Arad {afrdd), to flee, to he ivild, untamed. 
1. A Canaanitish city in the south of Ju- 
dah. The site of this ancient city is a barren- 
looking eminence rising above the sur- 
rounding country, now called Tel Arad. 
In Num. 21 : 1 ; 33 : 40, " king Arad," A. V., 
is incorrect for "king of Arad." Josh. 12 : 
14 ; Judg. 1 : 16. 2. A descendant of Ben- 
jamin. 1 Chron. 8 : 15. 

Araui {a' ram), high region 1. A son of 
Shem. Gen. 10 : 22, 23 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 17. 2. A 
descendant of Nahor, Abraham's brother. 
Gen. 22 : 21. 3. An Asherite. 1 Chron. 7 : 
34. 4. The son of Esrom, elsewhere called 
Ram. Matt. 1 : 3, 4 ; Luke 3 : 33, A. V., but 
the R. V. reads Arni. 

Aram, highlands. The elevated region 
northeast of Palestine, toward the Euphra- 
tes river. Num. 23 : 7 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 17 ; 2 : 
23. It was nearly identical with Syria. 
Aram-naharaim of Gen. 24 : 10 is translated 
Mesopotamia in the English Version, and 
refere to the region between the Euphrates 
and Tigris rivers. There were probably 
several petty kingdoms included under 
Aram, as Aram-zobah, Aram Beth-rehob, 
Aram Damascus, Padan-aram; all these 
were gradually absorbed by that of Damas- 
cus, which became the capital of all 
"Aram," or Syria. 

Ararat (dr'a-rdt), holy land, or high land. 
A mountainous region of Asia which bor- 
ders on the plain of the Araxes, and is 
mentioned (1) as the resting-place of Noah's 
ark. Gen. 8:4; (2) as the refuge of the sons 
of Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19:37, R. V., or 
margin. A, V. ; Isa. 37, 38, R. V., or margin, 
A. V. ; (3) as a kingdom with Minni and 
Ashchenaz. Jer. 51 : 27. The mountains 
of Ararat, Gen. 8 : 4, properly refer to the 
entire range of elevated table land in that 
portion of Armenia ; and upon some lower 
part of this range, rather than upon the 
high peaks popularly called Ararat, the 
ark more probably rested. For (1) this pla- 
teau or range is about 6000 to 7000 feet 
high : (2) it is about equally distant from 
the Euxine and the Caspian Seas, and be- 
tween the Persian Gulf and the Mediterra- 
nean, and hence a central point for the 
dispersion of the race ; (3) the region is 
volcanic in its origin ; it does not rise into 
sharp crests, but has broad plains sep- 
arated by subordinate ranges of mountains ; 
(4) the climate is temperate, grass and grain 
are abundant, the harvests quick to ma- 
ture. All these facts illustrate the biblical 
narrative. George Smith, however, places 
Ararat in the southern part of the moun- 
tains east of Assyria. Chaldean Account 
of Genesis, p. 289, 

Araunah (a-rau'nah), arkf a large ash 
or pine. A Jebusite, it has been supposed 
of royal race, from whom David purchased 
a threshing-floor as a site for an altar to the 
Lord. 2 Sam. 24:18-25. In 1 Chron. 21: 18-28, 



and 2 Chron. 3 : 1, the name is Oman. There 
is an apparent discrepancy in the two ac- 
counts in respect to the price paid by Da- 
vid. According to the author of Samuel it 
was 50 shekels of silver ; whereas in Chron- 
icles we find the sum stated to be 600 shek- 
els of gold. But we may suppose the floor, 
oxen, and instruments purchased for the 
50 shekels ; the larger area, in which the 
temple was subsequently built, for 600. 
Or, the first-named sum was the price of 
the oxen, the last of the ground. 

Arba. Gen. 35 : 27. See Hebron. 

Archangel, a chief angel, only twice 
used in the Bible. 1 Thess. 4 : 16 ; Jude 9. 
In this last passage it is applied to Michael, 
who, in Dan. 10 : 13, 21 ; 12 :1, is described 
as " one of the chief princes," having a 
special charge of the Jewish nation, and 
in Rev. 12 : 7-9 as the leader of an angelic 
army. 

Archelaus {dr-ke-ld'us), chief, or prince 
of the people. A son of Herod the Great, by 
Malthace his Samaritan wife. Herod be- 
queathed to him his kingdom, but Augus- 
tus confirmed him in the possession of only 
half of it — Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, 
with the title of ethnarch, or chief of the 
nation. After about ten years, on account 
of his cruelties, he was banished to Vienne 
in Gaul ; and his territories were reduced 
to the form of a Roman province under 
the procurator Coponius. In Matt. 2 : 22, 
he is said to be king, referring to the inter- 
val immediately after the death of Herod, 
when he assumed the title of king. 

Arclii (dr'ki). Josh. 16 : 2 A. V., but R. 
V. reads "border of the Arclii tes," a people 
Uving near Bethel, and to which Hushai 
belonged. 2 Sam. 15 : 32. 

Areturus {ark-tii'rus). Job 9:9; 38 : 32, 
in A. v., but the R. V. correctly reads 
"bear" in both passages. Areturus is the 
name of a fixed star of the first magnitude 
in the constellation Bootes ; but the He- 
brew word in Job refers to the constellation 
Ursa Major, or Great Bear. The "sons" 
are probably the three stars in the tail of 
the bear. 

Areopagus {dr-e-dp'a-gHs, or dre-6p'a- 
gus), Mars' Hill. A narrow naked ridge of 
limestone rock at Athens, sloping upwards 
from the north and terminating in an ab- 
rupt precipice on the south, 50 or 60 feet 
above a valley which divides it from the 
west end of the AcropoUs. It had its name 
from the legend that Mars (Ares), the god 
of war, was tried here by the other gods 
on a charge of murder. Here sat the court 
or council of the Areopagus, a most an- 
cient and venerable tribunal, celebrated 
through Greece. It examined criminal 
charges, as murder, arson, wounding ; but 
the lawgiver Solon gave it also political 
powers. Those who had held the office of 
archon were members of this court, and 
they sat for life, unless guilty of some 
crime. The Areopagus was respected un- 
der the Roman dominion, and existed in 
the empire. Here it was that Paul made 
his memorable address. Acts 17 : 19-34 ; one 
of the council, persuaded by it or more 
fully instructed afterwards, becoming 

29 



ARETAS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ARK 



a Christian. But it does not appear that 
the apostle was, properlj' speaking, tried ; 
rather he was placed on this spot in oixier 
that what he had to say might be more 
readily heard by the multitude. Sixteen 
stone steps from the agora ( market) yet 
exist, and the stone seats fonning tnree 
sides of a quadrangle looking southwards, 
also two blocks, appropriated, it is beUeved, 
to the accuser and the criminal. 

Aretas (ur'e-tas), virtuous. 2 Cor. 11 : 32. 
The king of Arabia Petreea at the time the 
governor of Damascus attempted to appre- 
hend Paul. Acts 9:24, 25. His daughter 
married Herod Antipas, but was afterward 
divorced to allow him to marry Herodias. 
In consequence of this insult, Aretas made 
war upon Antipas and defeated him. Anti- 
pas was soon after banished and his king- 
dom given to Agrippa. It is likely that 
Aretas was restored to the good graces of 
the Romans, and that Cahgula granted him 
Damascus, which had already formed part 
of his predecessor's kingdom. In this way 
we can account for the fact in Paul's life 
stated above. 

Argob (dr'gdb), stony, a small district of 
Bashan, east of the Jordan ; named only 
four times in the Bible. It is about 30 miles 
long by 20 miles wide, chiefly a field of 
basalt (black rock), elevated about 30 feet 
above tne surrounding plain, and bordered 
by a rocky rampart of broken chffs. It once 
contained 60 strong and fortified cities, 
the ruins of many of them being still to be 
seen. It is now called the Lejah. 

Ariel (d'ri-el or a-rl'el), lion of God. One 
of Ezra's chief men who directed the cara- 
van which Ezra led from Babylon to Jeru- 
salem. Ezra 8 : 16. Jerusalem being the 
chief city of Judah, wkose emblem was a 
lion. Gen. 49 : 9, the word Ariel is apphed to 
that city. Isa. 29 : 1. 

Arimathea {ar-i-ma-the'ah), the heights. 
A city of Palestnie, whence came Joseph 
the counsellor, mentioned in Luke 23:51. 
Trelawney Saunders places it east of Beth- 
lehem. 

Aristarchus (dr-is-tdr'kus), best ruler. A 
Macedonian of Thessalonica who accom- 
panied Paul upon his third missionary 
journey. Acts 20 : 4 ; 27 : 2. He was nearly 
killed in the tumult which Demetrius ex*- 
cited in Ephesus, Acts 19 :29, and it is said 
that he was finally beheaded in Rome. 
Paul alludes to him both as his fellow- 
laborer and fellow-prisoner. Col. 4 : 10 ; 
Phile. 24. 

Ark. The vessel constructed by Noah 
at God's command, for the preservation of 
himself and family, and a stock of the vari- 
ous animals, when the waters of the flood 
overflowed the inhabited earth. If the 
cubit be reckoned at 21 inches, the dimen- 
sions of the ark were 525 feet in length, 87 
feet 6 inches in breadth, 52 feet 6 inches 
in height. The proportions are those 
of the human body, and they are ad- 
mirably adapted for a vessel required, like 
the ark, to float steadily with abundant 
stowage. This is proved by modem experi- 
ments. The ark was made of "gopher- 
wood," probably cypress ; and it was to be 

30 



divided into "rooms" or "nests," that is, 
furnished with a va«t number of separate 
compartments, placed one above another 
in three tiers. Light was to be admitted by 
a window, not improbably a sky-light, a 
cubit broad, extending the whole length of 
the ark. If so, however, there must have 
been some protection from the rain. A 
"covering" is spoken of, Gen. 8:13; but 
several writers have beheved that some 
transparent or translucent substance was 
employed, excluding the weather and ad- 
mitting the light. It is observable that the 
" window " which Noah is said to have 
opened. Gen. 8 : 6, is not in the origrinal the 
same word with that occurring in 6 : 16. 
Perhaps one or more divisions of the long 
sky-hght were made to open. There was a 
door also, through which the persons and 
the animals would enter and pass out. 
Many questions have been raised, and dis- 
cussed at great length by skeptics and 
othere, respecting the form and dimensions 
of the ark ; the number of animals saved 
in it— whether including all species then 
existing in the world, except such as live 
in water or he dormant, or only the species 
living in the parts of the world then peopled 
by man ; and as to the possibility of their 
being all lodged in the ark, and their food 
during the year. Some of these questions 
the Bible clearly settles. Others it is vain 
to discuss, since we have no means of de- 
ciding them. It was by miracle that he 
was forewarned and directed to prepare for 
the flood ; and the same miraculous power 
accomplished all that Noah was unable to 
do in designing, building, and filhng the 
ark, and preser\ang and guiding it through 
the deluge. 2. 3Ioses's ark was made of 
the bulrush or papyrus, which grows in 
marshy places in Egj^pt. It was daubed 
with shme, which was probably the mud 
of which their bricks were made, and with 
pitch or bitumen. Ex. 2:3. 3. Ark of tfie 
covenant. The most important piece of 
the tabernacle's furniture. It appears to 
have been an oblong chest of shittim 
(acacia) wood, two and a half cubits long, 
by one and a half broad and deep. Within 
and without gold was overlaid on the 
wood ; and on the upper side or lid, which 
was edged round about Avith gold, the 
mercy seat was placed. The ark was fitted 
with rings, one at each of the four comers, 
and through these were passed staves of 
the same wood similarly overlaid, by which 
it was carried by the Kohathites. Niun. 
7:9; 10 : 21. The' ends of the staves were 
visible without the veil in the holy place 
of the temple of Solomon. 1 Kings 8 : 8. 
The ark, when transported, was covered 
with the "veil" of the dismantled taber- 
nacle, in the curtain of badgers' skins, and 
in a blue cloth over all, and was therefore 
not seen. Num. 4 : 5, 20. The chief facts in 
the earlier historj' of the ark, see Josh. 3 and 
6, need not be recited. Before David's time 
its abode was frequently changed. It so- 
journed among several, probably Levitical, 
families. 1 Sam. 7:1; 2 Sam, 6:3, 11; 1 
Chron. 13 : 13, 15, 24, 25, in the border vil- 
lages of eastern Judah, and did not take its 



AHMAGEDDOl? 



OF THE Bi:BLZ 



AHMY 



place in the tabernacle, but dwelt in cur- 
tains, i. e., in a separate tent pitched for it 
in Jerusalem by David. When idolatry be- 
came mere shameless in the kingdom of 
Judah, Manasseh placed a " carved image " 
in the "house of God," and probably re- 
moved the ark to make way for it. This 
may account for the subsequent statement 
that it was reinstated by Josiah. 2 Chron. 
33 : 7 ; 35 : 3. It was probably taken captive 
or destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. 

Armageddon {dr-ma-gld'don), thehiU, or, 
perhaps, the city of Megiddo. A symbohcal 
name for the place where a final struggle 
between the hosts of good and evil must 
take place. Rev. 16 : 16. Spelled Har-Ma- 
gedon in R. V. For an exposition of the 
apostle's meaning, the reader must be re- 
ferred to commentaries; it will be suffi- 
cient here to say that there is an allusion 
to that great battle-field where Barak and 
Gideon conquered, Judges 4 ; 5 : 19 ; 6 : 33 ; 7 ; 
where Saul and Josiah fell, 1 Sam. 29 : 1 ; 
31 ; 2 Sam. 4 : 4 ; 2 Chron. 35 : 20-24 ; the plain 
of Esdraelon, on the southern border of 
which Megiddo stood. 

Armenia {ar-me'ni-d), mountains of 
Minni (?) The English name for a country 
called Ararat in the Hebrew, 2 Kings 19 : 
37 ; Isa. 37 : 38, A. V., but the R. V. has 
Ararat in both of these places; hence 
" Armenia " does not occur in the Revised 
English Version. Armenia is in western 
Asia, between the Caspian and the Black 
Seas, and the Caucasus and Taurus ranges 
of mountains. Three districts, probably 
included in Armenia, are mentioned in the 
Bible — Ararat, Minni and Ashchenaz, and 
Togarmah. 1. Ararat was a central region 
near the range of mountains of the same 
name. 2. Minni and Ashchenaz, Jer. 51 : 
27, districts in the upper valley of a branch 
of the Euphrates. 3. Togarmah, Ezek. 27 : 
14 ; 38 : 6, was apparently the name by 
which the most, or perhaps the whole, of 
the land was known to the Hebrews. The 
present number of Armenians is estimated 
to be from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000, of whom 
about 1,000,000 live in Armenia. Its chief 
modern towns are Erzeroum, Erivan, and 
Van. See Ararat. 

Arms, Armor. There were : I. Offen- 
sive Weapons: arms. II. Defensive wea- 
pons: armor. I. Offensive weapons. 1. 
Apparently the earliest and most Avidely 
used was the Chereb or sword, a lighter 
and a shorter weapon than the modern 
sword. It was carried in a sheath, 1 Sam. 
17 : 51 ; 2 Sam. 20 : 8 ; 1 Chron. 21 : 27, slung 
by a girdle, 1 Sam. 25 : 13, and resting upon 
the thigh, Ps. 45 : 3 ; Judg. 3 : 16, or upon the 
hips, 2 Sam. 20:8. 2. The spear; at least 
three distinct kinds, (a) The Chanith, 
a " spear " of the largest kind. It was the 
weapon of Goliath, 1 Sam. 17 : 7, 45 ; 2 Sam. 
21 : 19 ; 1 Chron. 20 : 5, and also of other 
giants, 2 Sam. 23 : 21 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 23, and 
mighty warriors, 2 Sam. 2 : 23 ; 23 : 18 ; 1 
Chron. 11 : 11, 20. (&) Apparently lighter 
than the preceding was the Ctdon or "jav- 
elin." When not in action the Cidon was 
carried on the back of the warrior, 1 Sam. 
17:6, A. V. "target." (c) Another kind 



of spear was the Rdmach, mentioned in 
Num. 25:7 and 1 Kings 18:28, and fre- 
quently in the later books, as in 1 Chron. 
12 : 8 (" buckler ") ; 2 Chron. 11 : 12. It va- 
ried much in length, weight and size, (d) 
The Shelach, probably a Bghter missile or 
" dart." See 2 Chron. 23 : 10 ; 32 : 5 (" darts "); 
some suppose darts are meant by the read- 
ing in the margin of A. V. of Neh. 4 : 17, 
23 ; but the R. V. reads " wea;pon " in both 
cases, which makes it uncertain what kind 
of armor is meant. Job 33 : 18 ; 36 : 12 ; 
Joel 2 : 8. (e) Shebet, means a rod or staff, 
used once only to denote a weapon. 2 
Sam. 18 : 14. 3. Of missile weapons of of- 
fence the chief was undoubtedly the bow 
(Hebrew, Kesheth). The arrows were car- 
ried in a quiver. Gen. 27:3; Isa. 22:6; 
49 : 2 ; Ps. 127 : 5. From an allusion in Job 
6 : 4 they would seem to have been some- 
times poisoned ; and Ps. 120 : 4 may iK)int 
to a practice of using arrows with some 
burning material attached to them. 4. 
The sling is mentioned in Judg. 20:16. 
This sunple weapon, with which David 
killed the giant Philistine, was the natural 
attendant of a shepherd. Later in the 
monarchy, sUngers formed part of the reg- 
ular army. 2 Kings 3:25. 5. The battJ^- 
axe, Jer. 51 : 20, was a powerful weaix)n ; its 
exact form is unknown. II. Armor. 1. 
The breastplate noticed in the arms of Go- 
liath, a " coa< of mail," literally a "breast- 
plate of scales." 1 Sam. 17:5. 2. The ha- 
bergeon is mentioned twice — ^in reference to 
the gown of the high priest. Translated 
coat of mail in R. V. Ex. 28 : 32 ; 39 : 23. 
It was probably a quilted shirt or doublet. 

3. The helmet was a protection for the head. 

1 Sam. 17 : 5 ; 2 Chron. 26 : 14 ; Ezek. 27 : 10. 

4. Greaves were coverings for the feet, made 
of brass, named in 1 Sam. 17 : 6 only. 5. Two 
kinds of shield are distin^^uishable. (a) The 
large shield, encompassing the whole per- 
son. Ps. 5:12. It was carried before the 
warrior. 1 Sam. 17 : 7. (6) Of smaller size 
was the buckler or target, probablv for use in 
hand-to-hand fight. 1 Kings 10 : 16 ; 2 Chron. 
9:15,16. 

Army. I, Jewish army. Every able- 
bodied man over 20 years of age was a sol- 
dier, Num. 1:3; each tribe formed a divi- 
sion, with its own banner and its own 
leader, Num. 2:2; 10 : 14 ; their positions 
in the camp and on the march were fixed. 
Num. 2 ; the whole army started and 
stopped at a given signal. Num. 10 : 5, 6 ; 
so they came up out of Egypt. Ex. 13 : 18. 
On the approach of an enemy a selection 
was made from the general body, Deut. 20 : 
5 ; 2 Kings 25 : 19 ; and officers were ap- 

Sointed, Deut. 20 : 9. The army was then 
ivided into thousands and hundreds un- 
der captains. Num. 2 : 34 ; 31 : 14 ; 2 Chron. 
25 : 5 ; 26 : 12. With the kings arose the 
custom of a body-guard and a standing 
army. David's band of 600, 1 Sam. 23 : 13 ; 
25 : 13, he retained after he became king, 
and added the Cherethites and Pelethites. 

2 Sam. 15 : 18 ; 'JO : 7. David organized a 
national militia, divided into twelve di- 
visions, under their respective officers, each 
of which was called out for one month iu 

31 



AENON 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ASHDOD 



the year. 1 Chron. 27. The maintenance 
and • equipment of the soldiers at the pub- 
lic expense date from the estabhshment of 
a standing armj-. II. Roman army. The 
Roman army was divided into legions. The 
number in a legion varied from 3000 to 
6000, each under " chief captains," Acts 21 : 
31, who commanded by turns. The legion 
was subdivided into ten cohorts (" band,"), 
Acts 10 : 1 ; the cohort into three maniples, 
and the maniple into two centuries, con- 
taining originally 100 men, as the name 
implies : but subsequently from 50 to 100 
men, according to the strength of the le- 
gion. There were thus sixty centuries in a 
legion, each under the command of a cen- 
turion. Acts 10 : 1, 22 ; Matt. 8:5; 27 : 54. 
In addition to the legionary cohorts, inde- 
pendent cohorts of volunteers ser^'ed under 
the Roman standards. One of these co- 
horts was named the Itahan, Acts 10 : 1, 
because the soldiers in it were from Italy. 

Arnon {dr'non), noisy. A stream running 
into the Dead Sea from the east, and which 
divided Moab from the Amorites. Niun. 
21 : 13 ; Judg. 11 : 8. The Amon is about 50 
miles long, 90 feet wide, and from four to 
ten feet deep at its mouth ; full in winter, 
but nearly dry in summer; had several 
fords, Isa. 16 :2, and "high places," Num. 
21 : 28 ; is referred to 24 times in the Bible. 
The reference to "high places" in Isa. 15 : 
2, some Jewdsh scholars regard as the name 
of a place and read, "Beth-bamoth and 
Dibon are gone up to weep." Its modern 
name is el-Mojib. It runs through a deep 
ravine ■svith precipitous limestone chffs on 
either side, in some places over 2000 feet 
high. Ruins of forts, bridges, and buildings 
abound on its banks, and fish in its waters. 

Aroer {dr'o-er, or a-ro'er), ruins, or juni- 
per. 1. A city on the northern bank of the 
Arnon. Its ruins are still called Ara'ir. If 
Aroer be meant by "the city in the midst 
of the river," Josh. 13 :9, it niay have orig- 
inated in the circumstance that the city 
stood partly on the bank, and partly ex- 
tending into the river. Dent. 2 : 36 ; 3 : 12 ; 
4:48; Josh. 12:2; 13:16; Judg. 11:26; 
Jer. 48 : 19. 2. Another city, situated far- 
ther north, over against Rabbah of Am- 
mon, on a brook of Gad, a branch of the 
Jabbok. The site is still called Ayra, 
Num. 32 : 34 ; Josh. 13 : 25 ; 2 Sam. 24 : 5 ; 
Isa. 17 : 2 ; but possibly another city near 
Damascus. 3. A city of the south of Ju- 
dah ; the inhabitants were called "Aroer- 
ites." The ruins are still called Ar'arah. 1 
Sam. 30 : 28 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 44. 

Arpad {dr'pdd), or Arpliad {dr'fdd), 
strong city. A town or region in Syria, 
near Hamath, 2 Kings 18:34; Isa. 10:9, 
dependent on Damascus, Jer. 49 : 23. 

Artaxerxes (dr'tdg-zSrk'sez), the great 
warrior. The name of two kings of Persia 
mentioned in the Bible : 1. Ezra 4 : 7-24, the 
king who stopped the rebuilding of the 
temple because he hstened to the mali- 
cious report of the enemies of the Jews. 
He is supposed to have been Smerdis, the 
Magian, the pretended brother of Camby- 
ses, who seized the throne B.C. 522, and 
was murdered after eight months. 2. Ezra 
32 



7 : 7, and Neh. 2 : 1, both speak of a second 
Artaxerxes, who is generally regarded as 
the same with Artaxerxes Longimanus, 
i. e., the Long-handed, son of Xerxes, who 
reigned B. c. 464-425. In the seventh year 
of his reign he permitted Ezra to return 
into Judaea, with such of his countrj-men 
as chose to follow him ; and 14 years after- 
wards he allowed Nehemiah to return and 
build up Jerusalem. 

Arvad {dr'vdd), wandering. A small 
island, two or three miles oflf the coast of 
Phcenicia, related closelv to T^tc, Ezek. 27 : 
8 : 11. See also Gen. 10 : 18 ; f Chron. 1 : 16. 
Ruins of a huge wall are still found, and 
Greek inscriptions graven on black basaltic 
colimins. The stones are so large that the 
best engineers are puzzled to know how 
they were moved. The place is now called 
Ruad, and has about 3000 population. It 
is probably the same as Arpad and Arphad. 

Asa (d'sah), physician. 1. The third king 
of Judah ; he succeeded his father Abijam, 
about B. c. 955, and reigned 41 years at Je- 
rusalem. He was distinguished for his 
success in war, and his zeal for the wor- 
ship of Jehovah. He purified Jerusalem 
from the infamous practices attending the 
worship of idols ; and deprived his mother 
of her office and dignitj* of queen, because 
she erected an idol to Astarte. In the latter 
part of his hfe he became diseased in his 
feet; and Scripture reproaches him with 
ha\'ing had recourse to the physicians, 
rather than to the Lord. 1 Kings 15 : 8, 9 ; 
2 Chron. 16 : 2. 2. A Levite. 1 Chron. 9 : 
16. 

Asahel {d'sa-Ml, or ds'a-hcl), whom God 
made. 1. The nephew of David, son of his 
sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and 
Abishai. He was fleet of foot, and pursued 
Abner so keenly after a skii-mish, that that 
warrior was reluctantly compelled, in self- 
defence, to kill him. 2 Sam. 2 : 18-32 ; 3 : 
27, 30 ; 23 : 24 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 26 ; 27 : 7. 2. A 
Levite. 2 Chron. 17 : 8. 3. Another Levite. 
2 Chron. 31 : 13. 4. Father of a person em- 
ployed with Ezra. Ezra 10 : 15. 

Asaph {d'saj), collector. 1. The father 
of Joah, recorder to King Hezekiah. 2 
Kings 18 : 18, 37 ; Isa. 36 : 3, 22. 2. A Levite 
musician, one of the leaders of the singers 
in the reign of David. 1 Chron. 6 : 39. He 
is called a " seer," and is said to have com- 
posed several of the Psalms ; of which 50, 
73, 83 are in the titles attributed to him ; 
several of these must, however, be of later 
date than the times of Da-vid. His de- 
scendants, or a school of musicians founded 
by him, are called sons of Asaph ; and 
some of these returned from captivity with 
Zerubbabel. Ezra 2 : 41 ; Neh. 7 : 44. We 
often find Asaph spoken of in later ages 
vrith distinction. 2 Chron. 29 : 30 ; Neh. 12 ; 
46. 3. The keeper of the king's forest to 
Artaxerxes. Neh. 2:8. 4. A Levite. Neh. 
11 : 17. 

Ashdod {dsh'dod), stronghold, castle. One 
of the five confederate cities of the PhiUs- 
tines, allotted to Judah, Josh. 15 : 46, 47 : 
the chief seat of Dagon-worship, 1 Sam. 5. 
It was three miles from the Mediterranean, 
and midway between Gaza and Joppa. 



ASHDOTH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ASSHUR 



The place is called Azotus in the New 
Testament. Acts 8 : 40. It is now a mean 
village called Esdud ; near it are extensive 
ruins. 

Ashdoth {dsh'doth), outpouring of tor- 
rents, a ravine. A district situated near 
Mount Pisgah, called also " Ashdoth-Pis- 
gah" or "slopes of Pisgah," R. V. In the 
margin, " The springs of Pisgah." Deut. 
3 : 17 ; 4 : 49 ; Josh. 12 : 3. 

Asher (ash'er), happy. 1. The eighth 
son of Jacob. 2. One of the twelve tribes 
(see Tribes). 3. A territory extending 
irom Carmel to Lebanon, about 60 miles 
long and ten to twelve wide, having 22 
cities with their villages. The Phoenicians 
held the plain by the sea, and Asher the 
mountains. Josh. 19 : 24-31 ; Judg. 1 : 31, 
32. This territory contained some of the 
richest soil in all Palestine ; and to this 
fact, as well as to its proximity to the 
Phoenicians, the degeneracy of the tribe 
may be attributed. 4. A place on the 
boundary between Ephraim and Manas- 
seh. Josh. 17 : 7. 

Asherah {a-she'rah, and plural Asherim). 
2 Kings 23 : 14, R. V. The Greek and Latin 
name of a Phoenician goddess or idol, A. 
V. " grove." Asherah is closely connected 
with Ashtoreth, or Asheroth, R. V., and her 
worship. Elijah asked that 400 prophets 
of Asherah that ate at Jezebel's table be 
gathered at Carmel. Judg. 3:7; comp. 2 : 
3 ; Judg. 6 : 25 ; 1 Kings 18 : 19. Ashtoreth 
was the Hebrew name of the . goddess ; 
Asherah mistranslated "grove" in the 
A. v., is retained as Asherah in the R. V. 
It means an image or statue of the goddess, 
made of wood. See Judg. 6 : 25-30 ; 2 Kings 
23 : 14. See Ashtaroth. 

Ashes. The ashes on the altar of burnt- 
offering were gathered into a cavity in its 
surface. On the days of the three solemn 
festivals the ashes were not removed, but 
the accumulation was taken away after- 
^vards in the morning, the priests casting 
lots for the office. The ashes of a red 
heifer burnt entire, according to regula- 
tions prescribed in Num. 19, had the cere- 
monial efficacy of purifying the unclean, 
Heb. 9 : 13, but of polluting the clean. 
Ashes about the person, especially on the 
head, were used as a sign of sorrow. 

Ashkelou (dsh'ke-lon), and Askelon 
{ds'ke-lon), migration. One of the five cities 
of the Phihstines, a seaport town ten miles 
north of Gaza ; taken by Judah, Judg. 1 : 
18 ; visited by Samson, Judg. 14 : 19 ; and its 
destruction predicted in Jer. 47 : 5, 7 ; Amos 
1:8; Zech. 9:5; Zeph. 2 : 7. Ashkelon was 
the seat of worship of the PhiUstine god- 
dess Astarte, whose temple was plundered 
by the Scythians, b. c. 625 ; was the birth- 
place of Herod the Great. Near the ruins 
of the old city is Jurah, a village of about 
300 population. 

Ashkenaz (dsh'ke-ndz), strong, fortified. 
1. A district, probably in Armenia, the 
home of a tribe of the same name. In 1 
Chron. 1:6; Jer. 51 : 27 it is called Ashche- 
naz. See Ai'inenia. 2. Son of Gomer, 
Gen. 10 : 3, of the family of Japhet, and 
the probable ancestor of those wno inhab- 



ited the country of the same name, Jer. 51 : 
27, lying along the eastern and southeast- 
ern shore of the Black Sea. The precise 
district is unknown. 

Ashtaroth (dsh'ta-roth), Astaroth {ds'- 
td-rdth). 1. A city of Bashan, east of the 
Jordan, Deut. 1:4; Josh. 9 : 10 ; 13 : 31 ; the 
same as Beesh-terah, Josh. 21 : 27 ; probably 
Tell-Ashterah, in Jaulan. 2. Ashtoreth, 
sing. ; Ashtaroth, plur. and more usual. 
An idol called the goddess of the Sido- 
nians, Judg. 2 : 13, much worshipped in Sy- 
ria and Phoenicia. Solomon introduced 
the worship of it. 1 Kings 11 : 33. The 
Greeks and Romans called it Astarte. The 
400 prophets of the Asherah which ate at 
Jezebel's table, mentioned 1 Kings 18 : 19, 
R. v., were probably employed in the ser- 
vice of Asherah, the female deity. The 
worehip of Ashtoreth was suppressed by Jo- 
siah. The goddess was called the "queen 
of heaven," and the worship was said to be 
paid to the " host of heaven." Her name is 
usually mentioned in connection with 
Baal. ' Baal and Ashtoreth are taken by 
many scholars as standing for the sun and 
the moon respectively. 

Asia {d'shl-ah). This word in scripture 
never means the continent, as with us. In 
the Old Testament it is not found ; in the 
New Testament it means a small Roman 
province, in Asia Minor, in the northwest 
corner of Asia. Its boundaries were often 
changed ; but generally it may be said to 
have comprised Phrygia, Mysia, Lydia, 
and Caria, in Asia Minor, and thus it must 
be understood in Acts 6:9; 19 : 10. Some- 
times, however, the name is used in a more 
restricted sense ; and Phrygia is distin- 
guished from Asia. Acts 2:9, 10 ; 16 : 6. 
Asia was made by Augustus one of the sen- 
atorial provinces, and was governed, there- 
fore, by a proconsul. It prospered under 
the emperors ; and the gospel was preached 
there by Paul. Acts 19 : 10 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 19. 
The " seven churches" to which messages 
were sent, in Rev. 1 : 4, were in Asia. 

Asp. Deut. 32 : 33. See Serpent. 

Ass. Five Hebrew names of the ani- 
mals of this family occur in the Old Testa- 
ment. 1. Chamor denotes the male domes- 
tic ass. 2. Athon, the common domestic 
she-ass. 3. Air, the name of a wild ass, 
which occurs Gen. 32 : 15 ; 49 : 11, 4. Pere, 
a species of wild ass mentioned Gen. 12 : 16. 
5. Arod occurs only in Job 39 : 5 ; but in 
what respect it differs from the former is 
uncertain. The ass in eastern countries is 
a very different animal from what he is in 
western Europe. The most noble and hon- 
orable amongst the Jews were wont to be 
mounted on asses. The ass to us is a sym- 
bol of stubbornness and stupidity, while in 
the East it is remarkable for its patience, 
gentleness, intelligence, and great power 
of endurance. The color is usually a red- 
dish brown, but there are white asses, much 
Erized. The ass was used in peace as the 
orse was in war; hence the appropriate- 
ness of Christ in his triumphal entry riding 
on an ass. Mr. Layard remarks that in 
fleetness the wild ass equals the gazelle. 

Asshur. Gen. 10 : 11. See Assyria. 

33 



ASSOS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ASSYRIA 



Assos {as'sos). A Greek citv of Mysia 
in " Asia,'* 19 miles southeast of Troas, and 
on the Mediterranean Sea. Extensive ruins 
of buildings, citadel, tombs, and a gateway 
still exist there. Paul visited it. Acts 20: 13. 

AssjTia {as-syi''i-ah). A great empire of 
western Asia, founded at a veiy early date, 
though Babylonia is probably older," and is 
traced to A^hur, Gen. 10 : lO" 11, who built 
Nineveh, Rehoboth (?), Calah, and Resen. 
Assj-ria proper, the northern (Babylonia 
the southern portion), had about the' same 
territory as Kurdistan. The empire at times 
covered a far larger extent of territory, and 
in its prosperity nearly all of western Asia 
and portions of Africa were subject to its 
power. According to Prof. F. Brown, " the 
Babylonio-AssjTian territory was about 
500 miles from, northwest " to southeast, 
and in the widest part 300 miles from east 
to west, including Mesopotamia." The 
Persian Gulf formerly extended about 130 
miles further to the northwest than it does 
now, the gulf having been filled up by mud 
borne down by the Tigris and Euphrates 
rivers. There 'are immense level tracts of 
the countrj-, now almost a Avildemess, 
which bear' marks of having been culri- 
vated and thickly populated in early times. 
Among its products, besides the c'ommon 
cereals, were dates, ohves, cotton, mulber- 
ries, gum-arabic, madder, and castor-oil. 
Of anunals, the bear, deer, wolf, lynx, hy- 
ena, antelope, Hon, tiger, beav'er, arid 
camel were common. The fertihty of the 
country is frequently noted by 'ancient 
writers. 

History. Of the early history of Assyria 
little can be said. Profane historians dif- 
fer ; and scripture gives but scanty infor- 
mation. The deciphered inscriptions are 
revealing more, but are not yet fully ex- 
amined ; new ones are coming to light 
every year. Babylon is older than Nine- 
veh ; it was the beginning of Ximrod's em- 
pire, but not content with the settlements 
he had acquired, he invaded the countrj- 
called Asshur from the son of Shem, and 
there founded cities afterwards most fa- 
mous. Gen. 10 : 8-12. So far the sacred rec- 
ord would seem to teach us. But that it 
mentions an early Assyrian kingdom is not 
certaiiL Certain eastern monarchs are 
named. Gen. 14 : 1, 9, as pushing their con- 
quests westwards, but there is a record of a 
Chaldean but not of an Assyrian king 
among them. Says Prof. Brown: ""We 
find mention in the inscriptions of Persia 
(Parsua), Elam (Elamtu), with Susa (Shus- 
han, cf. Neh. 1 : 1, etc.), its capital, and 
Media (Mada), with Ecbatana (Agamtanu 
= Achmetha, Ezra 6 : 2), its capital, and Ar- 
menia (Urartu = Ararat, 2 Kings 19 : 37), 
and the land of the Hittites (Chatti), who, 
we thus learn, as well as from the EgA'p- 
tian inscriptions, had their chief seat far to 
the north of Damascus — Carchemish (Gar- 
gamish), their capital, being on the Eu- 
phrates, not far from the latitude of Nine- 
veh (modem Jerabis). The river Habor 
(Chabur), of 2 Eangs 17 : 6, is a river often 
named that flows into the middle Euphra- 
tes from the northeast, and Go^n (Guzanu) 

34 



(i&.) is a city and district in the immediate 
vicinity. These are but a few of the im- 
pKDrtant identifications." At first the Assy- 
rian empire was confined within narrow 
limits ; it became at length, by the addition 
of neighboring districts, a formidable state. 
Left partially under the sway of their own 
chiefs, who were reduced to vassalage, they 
continually had or took occasion for revolt. 
This led to' the deportations of captives, to 
break the independent spirit of feudatoiy 
states, and render rebelhon more difficult 
and hopeless. The Assyrian empire, at its 
■widest extent, seems to have reached from 
the Mediterranean Sea and the river Halys 
in the west, to the Caspian and the Gre'at 
Desert in the east, and from the northern 
frontier of Armenia south to the Persian 
Gulf. Abraham came from Ur Kasdim 
(Ur of the Chaldees), according to Gen. 11 : 
28, 31 ; 15 : 7 ; Neh. 9:7. " The only known 
Ur situated in the territory of the Chal- 
deans is the city of L ru, lying on the right 
bank of the Euphrates, 'far below Baby- 
lon, Avhose site now bears the name Mu- 
qajyar {Mugheir). The identification of 
this'with the bibhcal Ur Kasdim has been 
disputed, but the arguments against it are 
not conclusive, and no other satisfactory 
identification has been proposed. We are 
therefore entitled to hold that the Hebrews 
were, from the beginning of their history, 
under the influence not only of the com- 
mon stock of Shemitic endowments, cus- 
toms, and beliefs, but also of those that 
were specifically Babylonian. ' ' After Abra- 
ham, for nearly 1200 years, we have no 
record of the c'ontact of Hebrews with As- 
syrian or Babylonian peoples. In the ninth 
century, b. c, Nineveh and Assyria push 
into Hebrew territory. Shalmanezer n. 
encounters Benhadad of Damascus, and 
probably Ahab of Israel The dark cloud 
threatening Israel and Judah from Assyria 
for their unfaithfulness to God is descri'bed 
in strains of solemn warning. Sometimes 
" the nations from far " are spoken of; and 
their terrific might and mode of warfare 
are detailed ^vithout naming them. Isa. 5 : 
26-30. Sometimes in express words the 
king of Assyria is said to be summoned as 
the Lord's executioner, and the desolation 
he should cause is %ividly depicted. Isa. 8 : 
17-25. Samaria would fall; and her fall 
might well admonish Judah. Judah should 
deeply suffer. The invader should march 
throu'gh her territory- ; but the Lord would 
eflTectually defend Jerusalem. Isa. 10 : 5-34. 
The Assyrian king, in the might of his 
power, subjected the ten tribes, and car- 
ried multitudes of them into the far east ; 
he passed also Uke a flood over the comitry 
of Judah, taking many of the cities 
throughout her territorj- : and in his pre- 
sumptuous boldness he" conceived that no 
earthly power could resist him, and even 
defied Jehovah, the God of Jacob. But 
the firm purpose of the Lord was to defend 
that city to save it. The catastrophe is re- 
lated with awful brevity : " Then the angel 
of the Lord went forth, and smote in the 
camp of the Assyrians an hundred and 
fovir score and five thousand; and, when 



ASSYRIA 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ATHENS 



they arose early in the moming, behold 
they were all dead corpses." Isa. 37. The 
Assyrian empire attained afterwards prob- 
ably its greatest power and widest extent. 
But it was doomed. 

In later Persian times " the Ahashwerosh 
(Ahasuerus) of Ezra 4 : 6 and the book of 
Esther is Xerxes, the son of Darius, b. c. 
486-464; and the Artachshashta (Artaxer- 
xes) of Ezra 4 : 7, 8, 11, 23, etc., Keh. 2 : 1 ; 5 : 
14, etc., is the son of Xerxes, Artaxerxes 
Longimanus, B. c. 464-425. Ezra 4 : 7, 8, 
etc., is thought by many to refer to the false 
Smerdis, the pretended brother of Cam- 
byses, who in b. c. 522 reigned eight 
months; but the diflftculty in supposing 
both that he had the name Artaxerxes and 
that Artaxerxes in the diflFerent passages 
does not refer to the same persons is too 
great." Finally, in "Darius the Persian," 
Neh, 12 : 22, we have a reference to Darius 
Codomannus, B. c. 336-330. He who rules 
justly in the world would destroy Assyria 
(which had been long before warned by 
Jonah), as Assyria had destroyed other king- 
doms. Accordingly, in the prophecies of 
Nahum and Zephaniah, we find denuncia- 
tions predicting the entire downfall of this 
haughty power. The language is fearfully 
precise. Nah. 1; 2 ; 3 ; Zeph. 2 : 13-15. The 
work of destruction seems to have been 
effected by the Medes and Babylonians. 
Assyria fell, and was never again reckoned 
among the nations ; the very places being 
for long centuries unknown where her 
proudest cities had stood. The peopZe.— The 
excavations which have been so success- 
fully prosecuted have supphed a fund of 
information as to the manners and habits 
of the Assyrians. The sovereign was the 
despotic ruler and the pontiff, and the pal- 
aces contained also the temples. With no 
hmitation of the monarch's power, the peo- 
ple were kept in a servile condition and 
in moral degradation. The conquered 
provinces being placed under the author- 
ity of dependent princes, insurrections were 
frequent ; and the sovereign was almost 
always engaged in putting down some 
struggle for independence. War was waged 
with ruthless ferocity. Cities were attacked 
by raising artificial mounds ; the besieging 
armies sheltered themselves behind shields 
of wicker-work, and battered the defences 
with rams. In the field they had formida- 
ble war chariots. And the sculptures ex- 
hibit the modes of cruelty practiced upon 
those that were subdued. They were 
flayed, they were impaled ; their eyes and 
tongues were cut out ; rings were placed in 
their hps; and their brains were beaten 
out with maces. Comp. Ezek. 26 : 7-12. 
The Assyrians worshipped a multitude of 
gods. Asshur (probably the Nisroch of the 
Scriptures, and the eagle-headed deity of 
the sculptures), was the chief. But there 
were 4000 others, presiding over the phe- 
nomena of nature and the events of hfe. 
The architecture of the Assyrians was of a 
vast and imposing character. In the fine 
arts they made considerable proficiency. 
Their sculptures are diversified, spirited, 
aod faithful. They had, however, Uttle 



knowledge of perspective, and did not 
proi)erly distinguish between the front and 
the side views of an object. Animals, there- 
fore, were represented with five legs ; and 
sometimes two horses had but two fore- 
legs. The later sculptures are found to be 
better than the earlier. The Assyrians were 
skilled in engraving even the hardest sub- 
stances. They were famiUar Avith metal- 
lurgy, and manufactured glass and enam- 
els ; they carved ivory, and varnished and 
painted pottery. They indulged in the 
luxuries of hfe. Men wore bracelets, chains, 
and ear-rings, flowing robes ornamented 
with emblematic devices wrought in gold 
and silver; they had long-fringed scarfs 
and embroidered girdles. The vestments 
of officials were generally symbolical ; the 
head-dress was characteristic ; and the king 
alone wore the pointed tiara. The beard 
and hair were carefully arranged in arti- 
ficial curls ; and the eyebrows and eye- 
lashes were stained black. Of the women 
there are few representations. The wea- 
pons of war were richly ornamented, es- 
pecially the swords, shields and quivers. 
The helmets were of brass, inlaid with 
copper. The chariots were embellished, 
and the horses sumptuously caparisoned. 
Their hterature was extensive — grammars, 
dictionaries, geographies, sciences, annals, 
panegyrics on conquerors, and invocations 
of the gods. Little, however, can be ex- 
pected from a series of inscriptions, dic- 
tated by the ruhng powers, who did not 
hesitate sometimes to falsify the records of 
their predecessors. The wealth of Assyria 
was derived from conquest, from agricul- 
ture, for which their country was favorably 
circumstanced, and from commerce, for 
which they had pecuUar facihties. But 
these advantages, as they contributed to 
wealth, fostered luxury, and that corrup- 
tion, under a grinding tyranny, which is 
the sure precursor of an empire's ruin. 
The ruins are a splendid monument in 
testimony of the truth of prophecy and of 
Scripture. 

Athaliah (dth-a-ll'ah), whom Jehovah af- 
flicts. 1. The daughter of Ahab by Jezebel. 
She was married to Jehoranr, king of Judah ; 
and, when her son Ahaziah was slain by 
Jehu, she destroyed the rest of the royal 
family except Joash, an infant, who was 
concealed in the temple by his aunt Jeho- 
sheba (most likely not Athaliah's daughter), 
the wife of Jehoiada the high priest. Ath- 
aliah usurped the throne for six years, 
884-878 B. c. In the seventh year, Jehoiada 
brought out the young prince. Athaliah, 
probably engaged in her idolatrous wor- 
ship in the house of Baal, heard the shouts 
of the people, rushed into the temple, and 
saw the young king standing by, or per- 
haps on a pillar or platform ; but her cry 
of " treason " only caused her own arrest 
and deserved execution. 2 Kings 8 : 18, 26 ; 
11; 2 Chron. 22:2, 10-23; 21; 24:7. 2. A 
Benjamite. 1 Chron. 8:26, 3. One whose 
son, with many of the same family, re- 
turned from Babylon with Ezra. Ezra 8 : 7. 

Athens (dth'enz). The chief town of 
Attica (now Greece) ; was visited by Paul oa 

35 



ATONEMENT 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ATONEMENT 



his second missionary journey, after he had 
been sent away, for safety, from Berea. 
Acts 17 : 13-15. Athens, in the time of the 
apostle, was included in the Koman prov- 
ince of Achaia, but was a free city, retain- 
ing some of the forms which had belonged 
to it in its ^ahny days. The Athenians, 
curious and inqmsitive, as they had ever 
been, mockingly desired Paul to give them 
some account of the new doctrine he was 
setting forth. For both in the Jews' syna- 
gogue, and also in the agora or market- 
place, he had disputed with those who 
came to him, and had preached the gospel 
of Jesus, raised by God's mighty power from 
the dead. Within the city were four notable 
liills, three northward, forming almost a 
semicircle. The Acropohs, or citadel, was 
the most easterly of these : it was a rock 
about 150 feet high. Next, westward, was 
a lower eminence, the Areopagus or Mars' 
Hill, and then the Pnyx, where the assem- 
bhes of the people were held. To the south 
of these three hills was a fourth, the 
Museum. The agora lay in the valley be- 
tween the four. It has been supiwsed that 
there were two market-places, but it is now 
satisfactorily proved that there was but 
one. The localities, therefore, which Paul 
frequented, are readily understood. He 
was taken from the agora, and brought up 
to the Areopagus, where he delivered his 
wonderful address. Acts 17 : 18-31. His 
preaching made no great impression : the 
philosophers despised it. Some, however, 
clave to him ; and a Christian com- 
munity was formed of whom were Dionysius 
the Areopagite, Acts 17 : 32-34, Damaris and 
others. Modern Athens, situated about five 
miles from the sea, its port being the Piraeus, 
has been made the capital of the present 
kingdom of Greece. 

Atonement. (Literally, a setting at one.) 
Satisfaction or reparation made for an in- 
jury, by doing or suffering that which will 
be received in satisfaction for an offence 
or injury. Specifically, in the Bible : The 
expiation of sin made by the obedience, 
personal sufferings, and death of Christ. 
Human language is imperfect, and human 
conceptions are often defective, when ap- 
phed to the Most High. He is not touched 
with anger, resentment, etc., in the gross 
sense in which we commonly use the 
terms. We have, therefore, to take care 
that we do not represent him as hard to be 
molhfied, with a thirst of vengeance to be 
slaked by the suffering of a victim. No- 
where does Scripture assert that the Father 
had a purjxjse of burning wrath against the 
world, which was changed by the interpo- 
sition of the Son, on whom it hghted, so 
that, satiated by his punishment, he spared 
mankind. The Scripture rather teaches that 
" God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only-begotten Son, that whosoever behe veth 
in him should not perish, but have eternal 
hfe." John 3 : 16. " God is love." 1 John 
4 : 16. But God cannot " behold evil " with 
complacency. Hab. 1 : 13. It is consequently 
impossible that he can pass over it. Hence 
he threatens to visit it with a penalty : " the 
soul that sinneth it shall die. ' Eze'k, 18 ; 4. 
36 



His infinite holiness and justice, and the 
intrinsic demerit of sin, require this. The 
proper idea of an atonement is that which 
brings the forgiveness of trans^essors into 
harmony with all the perfections of the 
Godhead. One of these perfections must 
not be exalted to the depression of another : 
all must be equally and fully honored. 
Redemption, devised in the counsels of the 
eternal Three, was carried forward by the 
Son of God, who became man, that in the 
nature that had sinned he might make satis- 
faction for sin. He made this satisfaction 
by his obedience unto death, perfectly ful- 
filhng the di\ane law, for he "did no sin ; " 
and enduring the penalty of it, for "his 
own self bare our sins in his own body on 
the tree." 1 Peter 2 : 22, 24. In such a sac- 
rifice, God's judgment against the evil and 
desert of sin was most illustriously dis- 
played. As no other sacrifice of like value 
could be found, proof was given to the uni- 
verse that sin was the most disastrous evil, 
and that its " punishment was not the arbi- 
trary act of an inexorable judge, but the 
unavoidable result of perfect hohness and 
justice, even in a Being of infinite mercy." 
The objections urged against the doctrine' of 
the atonement, as if a vicarious sacrifice for 
sin were irrational, or placed the character 
of the Deity in an unamiable hght, are not, 
when sifted, found to be very cogent. It 
must always be remembered that Christ's 
atonement was not to induce God to show 
mercy, but to make the exercise of his love 
to sinners consistent with the honor of his 
law and the ipure glory of his name. Sin is 
therein especially branded ; and God's wis- 
dom, righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, 
and mercy, are most eminently displayed. 
And, whereas it is said that he must forgive 
freely without requiring satisfaction, be- 
cause he commands his creatures freely to 
forgive, it is forgotten that the cases are not 
parallel. Private offences are to be forgiven 
freely. But a ruler must execute his just 
laws. And so God is a great King, and as a 
king he administers pubhc justice and will 
not arbitrarily clear the guilty. Doubtless 
there is much in his purposes and plans 
which we are incapable of rightly estimat- 
ing. Enough is revealed to show us that 
" God was in Christ, reconcihng the world 
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses 
unto them." 2 Cor. 5 : 19. But we should 
recollect that, " as the heavens are higher 
than the earth, so are" his "ways higher 
than" our "ways and" his "thoughts 
than" our "thoughts." Isa. 55:9. 

The day of exj)iation, or atonement, was 
a yearly solemnity, observed with rest and 
fasting on the tenth day of Tishri, five 
days before the Feast of Tabernacles. Lev. 
23 : 27 ; 25 : 9 ; Num. 29 : 7. This would now 
be in the early part of October. The cere- 
monies of this day are described in Lev. 16. 
On this day alone the high priest entered 
the Most Holy Place. Heb. 9 : 7. The va- 
rious rites required him to enter several 
times on this day robed in white : first with 
a golden censer and a vessel filled with in- 
cense ; then with the blood of the bullock, 
which he had oflfered for his own sins ana 



A.TTALIA 



OF THE BIBLE. 



BAAl. 



those of all the priests. The third time he 
entered with the blood of the ram which 
he had offered for the sins of the nation. 
The fourth time he entered to bring out 
the censer and vessel of incense ; and hav- 
ing returned, he washed his hands and 
performed the other services of the day. 
The ceremony of the scapegoat also took 
place on this day. Two goats were set 
apart, one of which was sacrificed to the 
Lord, while the other, the goat for com- 
plete separation, was chosen by lot to be 
set at hberty. Lev. 16 : 20-22. These sol- 
emn rites pointed to Christ. Heb. 9 : 11- 
15. As this day of expiation was the great 
fast-day of the Jewish church, so godly 
sorrow for sin characterizes the Christian's 
looking unto the Lamb of God, and "the 
rapture of pardon " is mingled with " peni- 

tent tG£lI^ '* 

Attalia {dt-ta-lVah). A seaport town of 
Pamphylia, Acts 14:25, named from its 
founder, Attalus ; later it was called Sataha, 
and now Adalia. 

Augustus {ciu-gUs'tus), venerable. A title 
given to the Csesars by the Roman Senate, 
first apphed in b. c. 27 to C. J. C. Octavianus. 
This was four years after the battle of Ac- 
tium. Augustus was the emperor who ap- 
pointed the enrollment, Luke 2 : 1, causing 
Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem, the 
place where Jesus was born. He also closed 
the temple of Janus, in token of the rare 
occurrence, a universal peace ; thus uncon- 
sciously celebrating the coming of the 
Prince of Peace. He died a. d. 14, having 
two years before admitted Tiberius Csesar 
to a share in the government. In Acts 25 : 
21, 25, the title (translated the emperor in 
R. V.) refers to Nero. 

Aven (d'ven), nothingness. 1. The name 
applied to the city elsewhere called On, or 
Heliopohs. Ezek. 30 : 17. 2. A contracted 
form, Hos. 10 : 8, of Beth-aven, i. e., Bethel. 
3. A place mentioned by Amos, 1 : 5, called 
Bikath-aven,. in the margin of A. V. It 
seems to be a " plain " or valley in Lebanon, 
where Baalbek is situated, still called el 
Buka'a. 

Avenger of Blood. It was, and even 
still is, a common practice among nations 
of patriarchal habits, that the nearest of 
kin should, as a matter of duty, avenge the 
death of a murdered relative. The law of 
Moses was very precise in its directions on 
the subject of retaliation. 1, The wilful 
murderer was to be put to death without 
the right of redemption. The nearest 
relative of the deceased became the au- 
thorized avenger of blood. Num. 35 : 19. 
2. The law of retaUation was not to extend 
beyond the immediate offender. Deut. 24 : 
16 ; 2 Kings 14 : 6 ; 2 Chron. 25 : 4 ; Jer. 31 : 
29, 30; Ezek. 18:20. 3. The shedder of 
blood could fly to one of six Levitical cities, 
appointed as cities of refuge, and be safe, 
until proved guilty of wilful murder. Num. 
35:22-25; Deut. 19:4-6. 

Azariah {dz-a-rl'ah), whom Jehovah helps. 
2 Kings 14 : 21. There are 24 persons of this 
name mentioned in the Old Testament. 
The most distinguished of them was Aza- 
riah (called also Uzziah), the sou and suc- 



cessor of Amaziah, on the throne of Judah. 
He was, in many respects, an excellent 
king ; but, being elated by his prosperity, 
he aspired to execute the office of a priest, 
and to offer incense in the temple. In this 
he was resisted by the priests, and while 
enraged by their interference, the leprosy 
broke out upon his forehead, and remained 
upon him until the day of his death ; so 
that he was obhged to spend the latter part 
of his life in sdlitude. 2 Chron. 26 : 21. 

Azekah (a-ze'kah), dug over, broken up. 
A place to which Joshua's pursuit of the 
Amorites extended after the battle for the 
relief of Gibeon. Josh. 10 : 10, 11. It stood 
in the plain country of Judah, to which 
tribe it was allotted. Josh. 15 : 35. In later 
times we find the PhiUstines pitching near 
it, 1 Sam. 17 : 1 ; it was fortified by Reho- 
boam, 2 Chron. 11 : 9, and was one of the 
last towns taken by Nebuchadnezzar in 
Zedekiah's reign before Jerusalem fell. Jer. 
34 : 7. It was again inhabited after the re- 
turn from captivity. Neh. 11 : 30. 

B 

Baal ipd'al), lord. 1. A Reubenite. 1 
Chron. 5:5. 2. The son of Jehiel, and 
grandfather of Saul. 1 Chron. 8 : 30 ; 9 : 36. 

Baal. The chief male divinity of the 
Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as 
Ashtoreth was their chief female divinity. 
There can be no doubt of the great antiq- 
uity of the worship of Baal. It prevailed 
in the time of Moses among the Moabites 
and Midianites, Num. 22 : 41, and through 
them spread to the Israelites. Num. 25 : 3- 
18 ; Deut. 4:3. In the times of the kings 
it became the reUgion of the court and 
people of the ten tribes, 1 Kings 16 : 31-33 ; 
18 : 19, 22, and appears never to have been 
wholly abohshed among them. 2 Kings 
17 : 16. Temples were erected to Baal in 
Judah, 1 Kings 16 : 32, and he was wor- 
shipped with much ceremony. 1 Kings 18 : 
19, 26-28 ; 2 Kings 10 : 22. The reUgion of 
the ancient British islands resembled this 
ancient worship of Baal. The Babylonian 
Bel, Isa. 46 : 1, or Belus, is supposed to be 
identical with Baal, though perhaps under 
some modified form. The plural, Baalim, 
is found frequently, and the singular, Baal, 
in different compounds, among which ap- 
pear — 

1. Baal-berith (pd'al-be'rith), the covenant 
Baal. Judg. 8:33; 9:4. The God who 
comes into covenant with the worshippers. 

2. Baal-hanan {bd'al-hd'nan). 1. The 
name of one of the early kings of Edom. 
Gen. 36 : 38, 39 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 49, 50. . 2. The 
name of one of David' s officers, who had 
the superintendence of his olive and syca- 
more plantations. 1 Chron. 27 : 28. 

3. Baal-peor (bd'al-pe'or), lord of the 
opening, i. e., for others to join in the wor- 
ship. The narrative, Num. 25, seems clearly 
to show that this form of Baal-worship was 
connected with Ucentious rites. 

4. Baal-zebub {bd'al-ze'bub), lord of the 
fly, and worshipped at Ekron. 2 Kings 1 : 
2,3,16. 

37 



BAAL 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



BABYLON 



Baal also occurs as the prefix or suflBx 
to the names of several places in Palestine. 
Some of them are — 

1. Baal, a town of Simeon, named only 
in 1 Chron. 4 : 33, which from the parallel 
hst in Josh. 19 : 8 seems to have been iden- 
tical with Baalath-beek. 

2. Baalah (bd'al-ah), mistress. 1. An- 
other name for Kirjath-jearim, or Kir- 
JATH-BAAL, perhaps now Kuriet el Enab (?). 
Josh. 15:9, 10; 1 Chron. 13:6. 2. A town 
in the south of Judah, Josh. 15 : 29, which 
in 19 : 3 is called Balah, and in the paral- 
lel hst, 1 Chron. 4 : 29, Bilhah. 

3. Baalath {bd'al-Cdh), mistress, a town 
of Dan named with Gibbethon, Gath-iim- 
mon and other Philistine places. Josh. 19 : 
44. 

4. Baalath-beer {bd'al-dth-be'er), lord of 
the ueU. A town in the south part of Judah, 
given to Simeon, which also bore the name 
of Ramath-negeb, or " the height of the 
south." Josh. 19 : 8. 

5. Baal-gad {bd'aJ-gdd), lord of fortune, 
used to denote the most northern. Josh. 11 : 
17 ; 12 : 7, or perhaps northwestern, 13 ; 5, 
point to which Joshua's victories extended. 
Possibly it was a Phoenician or Canaanite 
sanctuary of Baal under the aspect of Gad, 
or Fortune. 

6. Baal-hamon (pd'al-ha'mon), lord of a 
multitude. A place at which Solomon had 
a vineyard, evidently of great extent. Song 
of Sol. 8: 11. 

7. Baal-hazor (pd'al-hd'zor), viUage of 
BaaZ. A place where Absalom appears to 
have had a sheep-farm, and where Amnon 
was murdered. 2 Sam. 13 : 23, 

8. Mount Baal-hermon {bd'aZ-hSr'mon), 
lord of Hermon, Judg. 3 : 3, and simply 
Baal-hermon, 1 Chron. 5:23. This is usually 
considered as a distinct place from Mount 
Hermon ; but we know that thts mountain 
had at least three names, Deut. 3 : 9, and 
Baal-hermon may have been a fourth in 
use among the Phoenician worshippers of 
BaaL 

9. Baal-meon (bd'al-me'on), lord of the 
house. One of the towns built by the Eeuben- 
ites. Num. 32 : 38. It also occurs in 1 Chron. 
6 : 8, and on each occasion with Nebo. In 
the time of Ezekiel it was Moabite, one of 
the cities which were the "glory of the 
country." Ezek. 25 : 9. 

10. Baal-perazim {pd'al-pir'a-zvm, orpe- 
rd'zim), lord of divisions. The scene of a 
victory of Da%dd over the PhiUstines, and 
of a great destruction of their images. 2 
Sam. 5 : 20 ; 1 Chron. 14 : 11. See Isa. 28 : 
21, where it is called Mount Perazim. 

11. Baal-shalisha (bd'al-shdl'i-shah), lord 
of Shalisha. A place named only in 2 
Kings 4 : 42, apparently not far from Gilgal ; 
Comp. 4 : 38. 

12. Baal-tamar (pd'al-td'mar), lord of the 
palm tree. A place named only in Judges 
20 : 33, as near Gibeah of Benjamin. The 
palm tree (tamar) of Deborah, Judg. 4, 5, 
was situated somewhere in the locahty. 

13. Baal-zephon (bd'al-ze'phon), lord of 
the north. A place in Egypt near where 
the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Num. 
33 : 7 ; Ex. 14 : 2, 9, prob^rbly oft the western 



shore of the Gulf of Suez, a little below its 
head. 

Baaua or Baanali (bd'a-nah), son of af- 
fliction. 1. A Benjamite, one of the mur- 
derers of Ish-bosheth. 2 Sam. 4 : 2, 5, 6, 9. 
2. The father of one of David's warriors. 2 
Sam. 23 : 29 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 30. 3, 4. Two offi- 
cers under Solomon. 1 Kings 4 : 12, 16. 5. 
One who returned with Zerubbabel. Ezra 
2:2; Neh. 7:7. 6. A person whose son took 
part in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. 
Neh. 3:4. He may be identical with the one 
who sealed the covenant. Neh. 10 : 27. 

Baaslia (bd'a-shah), wickedness, or, as 
some suppose, in the work. Son of Ahijah, 
of the tribe of Issachar. He was probably 
of mean origin. At the siege of Gibbethon, 
he conspired against Nadab, king of Israel, 
killed him and all his family, and pos- 
sessed himself of the throne. He attempted 
to fortify Ramah, with a view, it would 
seem, of preventing the access of the Is- 
raelites into Judah, 1 Kings 15 : 17, but his 
design was frustrated by a Syrian invasion, 
instigated by Asa, king of Judah. Baasha's 
evil conduct provoked the denunciation 
of God's judgments upon his house, as pre- 
dicted by Jehu the prophet. He reigned 
24 years, 953-930 b. c, and was buried in 
Tirzah, his capital. 1 Kings 15 : 16-22 ; 16 : 
1-7 ; 21 : 22 ; 2 Chron. 16 : 1^ ; Jer. 41 : 9. 

Babel, Tower of (bd'bel). An incom- 
plete building, named only once in the 
Bible. Gen. 11 : 4, 5. It was in the plain 
of Shinar, and made of burnt bricks, M^th 
"shme" (probably bitumen) for mortar. 
Jewish tradition and early profane writers 
say that the tower was destroyed. The 
captive Jews at Babylon imagined they 
recognized it, however, in the famous tem- 
ple of Belus, which some identify -vnth the 
temple of Nebo at Borsippa, the. modem 
Birs Nimrud. RawUnson thinks that Birs 
Nimrud cannot be identical with either 
the temple of Belus or the tower of Babel, 
but concedes that it may be Tosed to show 
the probable form of the Babel tower. The 
Birs Nimrud is one of the most striking 
ruins on the plain, and is six miles south- 
west of Hillah, on the Euphrates. This 
immense mound is about 2300 feet in cir- 
cumference and 235 to 250 feet high. It 
was built of burnt bricks, each brick being 
twelve inches square and four inches thick. 
Several of them bear an inscription of Ne- 
buchadnezzar. The tower is represented 
as in the form of a pyramid, built in seven 
receding stories, each placed upon the 
southwestern side of the one below, and 
each of the first three being 26 feet high, 
each of the last four being 15 feet high. 
On the seventh story was a temple, con- 
taining, perhaps, a statue of the god Belus. 

Babylon (bcib'by-lon), Greek form of Ba- 
bel. The noted capital of the Chaldsean 
and Babylonian empires, situated on both 
sides of the Euphrates river, about 200 miles 
above its junction with the Tigris, 300 miles 
from th& Persian Gulf. The valley is broad , 
and the river Euphrates is now about 600 
feet Avide and 18 feet deep at this place. 
Babylon, according to Herodotus, was a vast 
square oa both sides of the Euphrates, eu- 



BABYLON 



OF THE BIBLE. 



BABYLON 



closed by a double line of walls, about 56 
miles in circuit and including about 200 
square miles. Ctesias and others make the 
circuit about 42 miles, enclosing about 106 
square miles. The walls, according to He- 
rodotus, were about 335 feet high and 75 
feet broad. Ctesias, quoted by Diodorus, 
states that they were 200 feet high and built 
bv 2,000,000 men. Later writers, regarding 
these measurements as incredible, give the 
circuit of the walls at about 40 miles, their 
height at 75 to 190 feet, and their width at 
32 feet, or wide enough to allow four 
chariots to drive abreast on the top. M. 
Oppert and Rawhnson, as explorers, hold 
that the ruins warrant the statement of 
Herodotus as to the extent of Babylon. 
The wall of Babylon was surmounted by 
250 towers, and it had 100 gates of brass. 
Jer. 51 : 58 ; Isa. 45 : 2. Babylon is described 
as cut into squares— some say 676— by 
straight streets crossing each other at right 
angles, those at the river being closed by 
brazen gates, as the banks of the river 
were fortified by high walls ; the river was 
crossed by drawbridges and hned with 
quays ; the two palaces on opposite sides 
of the river were connected by a bridge, 
and also by a tunnel under the river. 
Among the wonderful buildings were : 1. 
Nebuchadnezzar's palace, an immense pile 
of buildings, believed to be nearly six miles 
in circmnference. 2. The hanging-gardens, 
one of the seven wonders of the world, 
built by Nebuchadnezzar to please his Me- 
dian queen, Amytis, who longed for her 
native mountains. These gardens were 75 
feet high and covered three and a half 
acres, enclosed in an area of larger extent, 
some say 1000 feet on each side. Upon this 
mountain was soil of depth to support the 
largest trees, and the water was drawn up 
from the river by means of a screw. 3. 
The temple of Belus, a vast pyramid or 
tower, 600 feet square, having eight stages 
or stories, and according to Rawlinson 480 
feet high, with a winding ascent pass- 
ing around it, and a chapel of a god at 
the top. Babylon is named over 250 times in 
the Bible. It was founded by Nimrod, Gen. 
10 : 10 ; its builders were dispersed. Gen. 11 : 

9. Then, except some allusion to Shinar, 
Gen. 14 : 1, the Chaldseans, Job. 1 : 17, and 
the Babylonish garment (R. V. "mantle "), 
Josh. 7 :"21, it drops out of Scripture history 
until the era of the captivity. It was often 
subject to Assyria, 2 Chron. 33 : 11, and was 
the residence of at least one Assyrian king. 
After the fall of Nineveh, b. c. 625, it be- 
came an independent kingdom, and under 
Nebuchadnezzar was enlarged, beautified, 
and reached the height of its magnificence. 
In Isa. 13 : 19 ; 14 : 4, it is called " the glory 
of kingdoms," "the golden city," and in 
Jer. 51 :41 "the praise of the whole earth," 
etc. It was the home of the chief of the 
captive Jews. Dan. 1 : 1-4. Its desolation 
was frequently foretold. Isa. 13 : 4-22 ; Jer. 
25 : 12 ; 50 : 2, 3 ; 51 ; Dan. 2 : 31-38 ; Hab. 1 : 5- 

10. Even before Babylon reached the sum- 
mit of its glory, Isaiah prophesied: "Bab' 
ylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty 
Qt tbe CUaldees' exceli^ftcy, gljaU b© as 



when God overthrew Sodom and Gomor- 
rah. It shall never be inhabited, neither 
shall it be dwelt in from generation to gen- 
eration ; neither shall the Arabian pitch 
tent there; neither shall the shepherds 
make their fold there ; but wild beasts of 
the desert shall lie there." Isa. 13:19-22; 
14 : 22 ; 23 : 47. This prophecy has been lit- 
erally fulfilled. It describes Babylon as it 
has been for many centuries and is now. 
Cyrus took it ; Darius afterwards rifled it ; 
Xerxes stripped its temples; and Alexan- 
der died in attempting its restoration. The 
modern town of Hillah now occupies a 
portion of the space covered by the ruins 
of ancient Babylon, and a telegraph con- 
nects it with the city of Bagdad. See 
Chaldaea and Assyria. 

Babylon, in Rev. 14 : 8 ; 16 : 19 ; 17 : 5 ; 
18 : 2, 21, is a symbolical name for heathen 
Rome, which took the place of ancient 
Babylon as a persecuting power. This is 
also the sense given to Babylon in 1 Pet. 5 : 
13 by the fathers and many commentators ; 
but others refer it to Babylon in Asia, since 
it is quite possible that Peter labored for a 
while in that city, where there was at that 
time a large Jewish colony; still others 
maintain that Babylon in Egypt, now 
called Old Cairo, is meant. 

Babylon, Province or Kingdom of. 
The country of which Babylon was the 
capital. Dan. 2 : 49 ; 3:1, 12, 30 ; 4 : 29. Its 
boundaries and history are involved in 
much obscurity. It was originally known 
as the "land of Shinar" and the "land of 
Nimrod." Gen. 10 : 10 ; Micah 5:6. It was 
chiefly between the Euphrates and Tigris 
rivers. Asshur or Assyria and Mesopota- 
mia were on the north, Elam and Media 
on the east, Chaldaea on the south. As 
Chaldsea gained in power its name was ap- 
phed to the whole country, including Bab- 
ylon. See Chaldaea. The early king- 
dom of Babylon is generally regarded as 
covering an extent of about 27,000 square 
miles, rich of soil and abundant in re- 
sources, the home of one of the earliest 
civilized nations. After the time of Nimrod 
Babel or Babylon api)ears to be displaced 
in Scripture history by Chaldaea until the 
time of Joshua, Josh. 7 : 21 ; after this both 
again disappear, until about the time of 
the captivity. At the fall of Nineveh, b. c. 
625, Babylonia speedily extended its sway 
over most of western Asia and Egypt, and 
under Nebuchadnezzar became a vast em- 
pire, lasting, however, less than a century, 
and fell before the Medians under Cyrus 
and Darius, B. c. 538, and soon after dropped 
out of history as a separate country. In 
architecture, sculpture, science, philosophy, 
astronomicaland mathematical knowledge, 
and in learning, the Babylonians made 
original investigations and discoveries not 
surpassed by any other ancient people. 
" To Babylonia," says G. Rawlinson, "far 
more than to Egypt, we owe the art and 
learning of the Greeks." — Five Ancient 
Monarchies, iii. 76. In rehgion the Babylo- 
nians differed little from the early Chal- 
deeans. Their chief deities were Bel, Mero- 
dacj}, and N§bQ, Ti;§ mines of these gods 

39 



BACA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



BAPTISM 



frequently appear in the names of noted 
princes, as Bel-shazzar, Nabo-polassar, Me- 
rodacli-baladan, Evil-merodach, Abed-nebo 
or -nego. Their gods Avere worshipped 
with great pomp and magnificence. The 
temples erected in honor of the gods and 
devoted to their worship were celebrated 
for their vastness, and for the massiveness 
and finish of their sculptures. Of the pre- 
cise mode of their worship httle is known. 
It was conducted by priests, through whom 
the worehippers made ofl'erings, often of 
great value, and sacrifices of oxen and goats. 
Images of the gods were exhibited, prob- 
ably on frames or sacred vehicles, and, as 
some suppose, were sometimes set up in 
a public place, as on the plain of Dura, 
Dan. 3:1; but late investigations indicate 
that the image there set up was a statue of 
Nebuchlidnezzar. — Schaff's Diet. The em- 
pire began ■with the accession of Nabo-po- 
lassar, b. c. 625 ; was in its greatest prosper- 
ity during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, 
lasting 44 years, to B. c. 561. See Netou- 
cliadiiezzar. Under the less able rulers 
who followed, the power of the empire de- 
chned, and it fell a comparatively easy 
prey to the Medo-Persians under Cyrus, 
B. c. 538. 

Baca (bd'ca), xveepmg, lamentation. A 
valley in Palestine, probablv sterile. Ps. 
84:6 A. v.; but the R. V." translates it 
" weeping." The pilgrim-journeys to Jeru- 
salem are here described. Those'who so go 
up, "passing through the valley of weep- 
ing, make it a spring," i. e., the sterile land 
becomes to them a watered valley. The 
plural of this word is rendered "m'ulberrv 
trees" in 2 Sam. 5 : 23, 24 ; 1 Chron. 14 : 14', 
15. 

Badgers' Skins. Ex. 25 : 5 ; Ezek. 16 : 
10 A. V. ; but the R. V. reads " seal-skins " 
("porpoise-skin," in the margin) in both 
cases. The true badger is rare, if known, 
in Arabia. It is beheved that the skins 
meant were those of such marine animals 
as the dolphin, dugong, porpoise, and seal. 

Bag. Deut. 25 : 13, and Luke 12 : 33, 
where the R. V. reads "purses." Eastern 
money was often sealed up in bags contain- 
ing a certain sum, for which they passed 
current w^hile the seal remained unbroken. 
2 Kings 12 : 10. The same custom contin- 
ues at this daj'. 

Bahui'iin (ba-hu'rim), young men. A 
town of Benjamin, near Jerusalem, on the 
road to the Jordan. It is several times 
mentioned in the history of David. 2 Sam. 
3:16; 16:5; 17:18. 

Balaam {bd'lam, or bd'la-am), not of the 
people, i. e., a foreigner. The son of Beor or 
Bosor, and a native of Pethor, on the Eu- 
phrates. Num. 22 : 5. Evidently he was 
an unrighteous man, but was selected for a 
special mission, as in some other cases. See 
1 Sam. 10 : 10 ; 1 Kings 13 : 18-20 ; Matt. 7 : 22 ; 
John 11 : 51. He had the reputation of a 
famous diviner. When the Hebrews were 
journeying to Canaan, Balak king of 
Moab, sent for Balaam, to curse the He- 
brew armies. Balaam ultimately accepted 
the tempting offer, and returned with the 
messengers to Moab. On his way he was 

40 



miraculously informed that his course was 
wicked and perverse; and he was effect- 
ually restrained by the beast on which he 
rode from doing what Balak had sent for 
him to do. So far from cursing, he was led 
to pronounce a prophetic blessing on the 
Hebrews, in language which, for eloquence 
and force, is hardly surpassed in the whole 
range of Hebrew poetry. Balaam, how- 
ever, seems to have suggested to Balak a 
much more certain method of destroying 
them. This was by causing the young' wo- 
men of Moab to inveigle the Hebrews into 
the impure and idolatrous worship of Baal- 
Peor. The stratagem was successful, and 
24,000 Hebrews were slain. Num. 31 : 16 ; 2 
Pet. 2 : 15 ; Jude 11 ; Rev. 2 : 14. Balaam 
himself fell shortly afterwards in an en- 
gagement between the Hebrews and the 
Midianites. Num. 31 : 8 ; Josh. 13 : 22. 

Balak. See Balaam. 

Balm (from balsam, Heb. tzdrt, tizrt), oc- 
curs in Gen. 37 : 25 ; 43 : 11 ; Jer. 8 : 22 ; 46 : 
11 ; 51 : 8 ; Ezek. 27 : 17. It is an aromatic 
plant, or the resinous odoriferous sap or 
gum which exudes from such plants. It is 
impossible to identify it with any certainty. 
Hasselquist has given a description of the 
true balsam tree of Mecca. He says that the 
exudation from the plant " is of a yellow 
color, and pellucid. It has a fragrant' smell, 
which is resinous, balsamic, and very agree- 
able. It is verj^ tenacious or glutinous, 
sticking to the fingers, and may be drawn 
into long threads." 

Bamali (bd'mah), high place. The name 
apphed to idolatrous places of worship. 
Ezek 20 : 29. 

Band. A band of Roman soldiers con- 
sisted of the tenth part of a legion, called 
a "cohort;" it varied, according to the 
size of the legion, from 400 to 600 soldiers. 
Matt. 27 : 27 ; Acts 21 : 31, and elsewhere. 

Baptism. A rehgious rite which was in 
use before Christ's ministry began, but 
which he approved and which was contin- 
ued by his disciples as a Christian ordi- 
nance. Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:16. In 
this rite, the use of water in the name of 
the Holy Trinity becomes the sign or em- 
blem of purification from sin and unclean- 
ness, and of becoming a member of the 
church of Christ. Baptism in the New Tes- 
tament, hke circumcision in the Old Testa- 
ment, is a sign and seal of the covenant of 
grace whereby God promises forgiveness of | 
sin and salvation, and man vows obedience 
and devotion to his service. See Acts 2 : 
41 ; Rom. 6 : 3, 4 ; Gal. 3 : 27 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 21. 
Christ himself did not baptize, John 4 : 2, 5 ; 
the apostles received the baptism of fire 
and of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2. In the 
case of Cornehus the gift of the Holy Spirit 
preceded water baptism, Acts 10 : 44-48 ; 
while, on the other hand, in the case of 
Simon Magus, water baptism was not ac- 
companied or followed by that gift on him. 
Acts 8 : 13, 21-23. The difference between 
Baptists and Psedobaptists refers to the sub- 
jects and to the mode of baptism. The 
former hold that adult believers only are 
to be baptized, and that inunersion is the 
only vahd mode of baptism; the latter 



barabbas 



OF THE BIBLE. 



BASHAN 



maintain that children of believing parents 
may and ought to be baptized, and that 
baptism may be administered by sprinkling 
and pouring as well as by immersion. 
They hold that the covenants of God, 
from the beginning of the world, have 
been with his people and their children ; 
and that special blessings are promised, 
if parents were faithful and the children 
kept the covenant with Adam, Gen. 2 : 17 ; 
1 Cor. 15 : 22 ; with Noah, Gen. 9:9; with 
Abraham, Gen. 17 : 7 ; 18 : 19 ; with the 
Jews, Rom. 3:1; 9:4; with Christians, 1 
Cor. 7 : 14 ; Eph. 6:4; Acts 2 : 39. They re- 
fer to the baptism of Lydia and her house- 
hold. Acts 16 : 15 ; of the jailer and all his, 
Acts 16 : 33 ; and the household of Stepha- 
nas, 1 Cor. 1 : 16. The baptism of repent- 
ance was preached by John the Baptist be- 
fore Jesus began his ministry. Baptism with 
the Holy Ghost and Avith fire. Matt. 3 : 11 ; 
Luke 3 :i6, is a strong expression to signify 
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon be- 
lievers, as on the day of Pentecost espe- 
cially, but often since in the history of the 
church. The baptism of the Holy Ghost, 
promised, Acts 1 : 5, is described as " poured 
out upon them," Acts 2 : 4, 17, 18 ; 10 : 45 ; 
and " fell upon them," Acts 8 : 16 ; 10 : 44 ; 
11 : 15. 

Barabbas (bdr-cWbas), son of Abba. A 
noted criminal at Jerusalem who was in 
prison for sedition and murder when Christ 
was condemned. Matt. 27 : 16. It was a 
custom, of the Romans to release one pris- 
oner at the time of the Jewish Passover. 
The Jews were permitted to name any pris- 
oner whose release they desired ; and when 
the choice lay between Barabbas and Christ, 
they chose the robber. Matt. 27 : 21 ; Mark 
15 : 6-11 ; Luke 23 : 18 ; John 18 : 40 ; Acts 3 : 
14. Pilate was anxious to save Christ, but 
at last released Barabbas. 

Saracliias, or Baracliiah, R. V. (bdr'a- 
kl'as), whom Jehovah hath blessed. The father 
of Zacharias, or "Zachariah," R. V., Matt. 
23 : 35 ; Luke 11 : 51. See Zacharias. 

Barak {bd'rak), lightning. The son of 
Abinoan, who was appointed by Deborah 
commander of the Hebrew forces. He so 
completely routed the Canaanitish forces, 
that they never recovered from the blow. 
As judge of the Hebrews, he was probably 
the colleague, or successor of Deborah. 
Judg. 4 : 4-24 ; 5 : 9 ; Heb. 11 : 32. 

Barbarian. This term is used to denote 
any one who was not a Greek. In its scrip- 
tural use it does not imply any rudeness or 
savageness of nature or nianners. Acts 28 : 
2, 4 and Rom. 1 : 14. 

Bar-Jesus {bdr'je'sus), son of Jesus. A 
Jewish magician in Crete, who opposed 
Paul and Barnabas, endeavoring to prevent 
Sergius Paulus from embracing Christian- 
ity, and was struck blind, " not seeing the 
sun for a season." This affliction, as the 
Greek achlus implies, was rather an obscu- 
ration than a total extinction of sight. He 
Is also called "Elymas" = a magician, a 
sorcerer. Acts 13 : 6-12. 

Bar-jo'na, son of Jonah. Matt. 16 : 17. 
See Peter. 

Barnabas {bitr'na-bas), son of exhortation, 



or of 2wophecy. The surname of Joses, a 
Levite ; a native of the isle of Cyprus, and 
an early convert to the Christian faith. 
He was' a companion of the apostle Paul, 
and had a large share in the labors 
and sufferings which attended the early 
spread of Christianity. Acts 4 : 36, 37 ; 9 : 
26, 27. 

Barsabas (bdr'sa-bas), son of Saba. 1. The 
surname of Joseph, also surnamed Jus- 
tus, one of the first disciples of Christ. He 
was one of the candidates for the vacancy 
in the apostleship, occasioned by the fall 
of Judas Iscariot. Acts 1 : 23. 2.' The sur- 
name of Judas, a Christian teacher, and 
one of the " chief men among the breth- 
ren." Acts 15 : 22, 27, 32. 

Bartholoixie"\v (pdr-thol'o-mew), son of 
Tolmai. One of the twelve apostles. Matt. 
10 : 3 ; Mark 3 : 18 ; Luke 6 : 14 : Acts 1 : 13. 
He is named in connection with Philip, 
and seems to have been the same person 
whom John calls Nathanael, John 1 : 45- 
51, and mentions among the other apostles, 
John 21 : 2. 

Bartimseus or Bartimeiis {bdr'ti- 
me'us), son of Timeus. A bhnd man whose 
sight was restored by our Lord, when in the 
neighborhood of Jericho. Mark 10 : 46-52. 
If this narrative be compared with INIatt. 
20 : 29-34 ; Luke 18 : 35-43, some differences 
appear. For Matthew speaks of two blind 
men. According to some writers, our Lord 
healed one of these (as in Luke) on entering 
Jericho, and another (Bartimeus, as in 
Mark) on leaving it ; and Matthew has, with 
characteristic brevity in recording miracles, 
combined both these in one. 

Barucli {bd'rook), blessed. 1. The secre- 
tary of the prophet Jeremiah, and who was 
of a distinguished Jewish family. Jer. 32 : 12. 
His friendship for Jeremiah was strong and 
constant. At lais dictation Baruch ^vrote 
Jeremiah's prophecies. These he read be- 
fore the princes, who rehearsed them to 
Jehoiakim, the king, having previously 
placed the writing in one of the offices of 
the temple. The king ordered the writing 
to be read in his presence, and he became 
so angry that he destroyed the manu- 
scripts and gave orders to arrest both the 
prophet and his secretary, but they had 
concealed themselves. Jehovah, however, 
repeated the prophecies to Jeremiah, with 
some additions, and Baruch wrote them a 
second time. Baruch was falsely accused 
of influencing Jeremiah in favor of the 
Chaldseans, and they were both imprisoned 
until the capture of Jerusalem, b. c. 586. 
They were afterward forced to go down to 
Egypt. Jer. 43 : 6, 7. 2. The name of three 
other persons, otherwise unknown. Neh. 
3 : 20 ; 10 : 6 ; 11 : 5. 

Barzillai {bdr-zWla-i or Idi), iron, of iron. 
1. A Gileadite, distinguished for his hospi- 
tality and liberality towards David during 
the revolt of Absalom. 2 Sam. 17 : 27 ; 19 : 
31-39 ; 1 Kings 2:7, 2. The father of Adriel. 
1 Sam. 18 : 19 ; 2 Sam, 21 : 8. 3. One of the 
priests. Ezra 2 : 61 ; Neh. 7 : 63. 

Bashan {bd'shan), liglit sandy soil. A 
district reaching from Hermon to Gilead at 
the river Amon, and from the Jordan valley 

41 



BATS 



PSOPLE'S DlCTlONAltV- 



SEDAN 



eastward to Salcah. It is referred to about 
60 times in the Bible. Bashan has two 
ranges of mountains, one along the Jordan 
valley, about 3000 feet high, another irregu- 
lar range on the east side of the district ; be- 
tween them are plains or undulating table- 
land watered by springs. The rock of 
basalt on the west is broken into deep 
chasms and jagged projections ; the hilb 
are covered with oak forests, as in former 
times. Isa. 2 : 13 ; Ezek. 27 : 6 ; Zech. 11 : 2. 
The plain of the Jaulan (Golan of Scripture) 
is a vast field of powdered lava and basalt, 
a fertile pasture to this day. The north- 
eastern portion of Bashan, including the 
Argob of Scripture, is a wild mass of ba- 
saltic rock. The centre of Bashan was 
mostly a fertile plain, and was regarded as 
the richest in Sjrria. The early people of 
Bashan were the giants Rephaim. Gen. 
14 : 5. Og, its king, was defeated and slain 
by Israel, Num. 21 : 33 ; 32 : 33, and the 
country^ divided. Its pastures, cattle, sheep, 
oaks, and forests were famous. Deut. 32 : 14 ; 
Ps. 22 : 12 ; Isa. 2 : 13 ; Jer. 50 : 19 ; Ezek. 39 : 
18. After the captivity it was divided into 
four provinces. The country is now nom- 
inally under Turkish rule, but is really held 
by tribes of Arabs, dangerous, warlike, and 
unsubdued. Bashan is almost literally 
crowded with cities and villages, now 
in ruins, some supposed to date back to 
Joshua's conquest, corroborating the ac- 
count in Scripture. Josh. 13 : 30. 

Bath. 1 Kings 7 : 26._ See Measures. 

Batli-sheba {bcith-she'bah or bath'she-bah), 
daughter of the oath. The wife of Uriah the 
Hittite, an officer in David's army. She is 
called Bath-shua in 1 Chron. 3 : 5. David 
first committed adultery with her, then 
caused her husband to be slain, and after- 
wards took her to wife. Bath-sheba was 
the mother of Solomon, whose succession 
to the throne she took pains to secure, 1 
Kings 1 : 15-31, and of three other sons, 1 
Chron. 3 : 5. She is afterwards mentioned 
in the history of Adonijah, 1 Kings 2 : 13, in 
the title of Psa. 51, and among the ancestors 
of Christ. ISIatt. 1 : 6. 

Battering: Katn. Ezek. 4 : 2. The en- 
gines of Ezek. 26 : 9 were most hkely batter- 
ing-rams, mentioned under the name of 
rams. Ezek. 4:2; 21 : 22. Those used by 
the Assyrians appear to have consisted of a 
strong frame-work on Avheels, so covered as 
to protect the soldiers working it, and 
armed with one, or sometimes two, pointed 
weapons. It differed considerably from the 
more famiUarly known ram employed by 
the Romans. " Engines of shot " are men- 
tioned in Jer. 6 : 6, marg., 32 : 24, marg.; Ezek. 
26 : 8, marg., but incorrectly. 

Battlement. Deut. 22 : 8. See Dwell- 
ing. 

Bdellium {dWyUm). A substance said 
to be found in the land of Havilah. Gen. 
2 : 12. It is also said that the manna, hke 
the hoar-frost, Ex. 16 : 14, or coriander-seed 
in size, was like bdellium in color. Num. 
11 : 7. Some believe this bdellium was a 
precious stone ; some think it of vegetable 
origin, a kind of gum exuding from a tree. 
And this, indeed, is the ordinary meaning 

42 



of that which ancient writers commonly 
call bdelUum. 

Bear. Prov. 17 : 12, The Syrian bear 
seems but a variety of the brown bear of 
Europe and Asia, though it is much hghter 
in color. Its food is seeds, fruits, and roots, 
to which it occasionally adds a goat or 
sheep. 

Beard. The nations of western Asia 
paid great attention to their beard. In this 
respect they differed from the Egyptians, 
who shaved, except when mourning. Gen. 
41 : 14 ; though they had the custom of 
wearing false beards, made of plaited hair, 
and graduated according to rank. For pri- 
vate persons these were small, about two 
inches long; for kings, much longer and 
square at the bottom; while gods had 
beards of which the lower part curled up. 
The Hebrews probablj^ allowed their 
beards to grow when in Egypt; and we 
find in their subsequent history that neglect 
of them was a proof of slovenliness, and 
allowable only in seasons of distress. 2 
Sam. 19 : 24. They were carefully trimmed 
and perfumed. Ps. 133 : 2. They were not 
to be touched by others, except by intimate 
friends, with the right hand, in a way of 
affectionate reverence, or to be respectfully 
kissed, 2 Sam. 20 : 9 ; and any indignity 
offered to them by pulhng, spitting, or the 
hke, was highly resented. Hence there 
could have been ho greater insult than that 
shown by Hanun to David's ambassadors. 
2 Sam. 10 : 4. Shaving the beard, or cutting 
it off, was a sign of the deepest degradation, 
Isa. 15 : 2 ; Jer. 41 : 5, hence the threatening 
in Isa. 7 : 20 was full of significance. There 
are some notices of the beard in the He- 
brew ritual. Thus, the recovered leper was 
to shave off" his beard on the last day of his 
cleansing, Lev. 14 : 9 ; but generally the 
comers of the beard were not to be marred. 
Lev. 19 : 27 ; 21 : 5. This prohibition is sup- 
posed to be directed against shaving the 
beard where it joins the hair. Some 
Arabian tribes, it seems, did this in devoting 
themselves to an idol-god. See Jer. 9 : 26 ; 
25 : 23 ; 49 : 32. 

Beaten Oil. Lev. 24 : 2. See Olive. 

Bed. Among the ancient Egyptians, 
the bed was a kind of low sofa of divan, 
ornamented with ivorj', and of such a 
length as to answer for a sofa bv dav and a 
bed bv night. Ps. 41 : 3 ; 132 : 3 ; Amos 6 : 4 ; 2 
Kings 1 :4, 6, 16 ; Prov. 7 : 16. The poorer 
people slept upon thick, coarse mattresses, 
or skins, which were thrown down at night 
upon the divan, or upon the floor. Some- 
times they had but a simple cloak, or a 
blanket, which also answered to wrap 
themselves in by day. Ex. 22 : 26, 27 ; Deut. 
24 : 12, 13. Hence it was easy for the per- 
sons whom Jesus healed "to take up their 
beds and walk." Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:9; 
John 5:8. In the East, most people only 
take off the outer garment, and often use 
it for a covering on retiring to bed. 

Bedan (be'dp.n), servile. 1. In 1 Sam. 12 : 
11 the name of this judge stands between 
Jerubbaal, or Gideon, and Jephthah, but 
probably it is a copyist's error for Barak. 
See Revised Version, margin. The differ- 



BEELZEBUB 



OF THE BIBLE. 



BENHADAD 



ence in Hebrew is not great. 2. A' Manas- 
site. 1 Chron. 7 : 17. 

Beelzebub (be-el'ze-Mib), lord of filth, or 
of flies. A name of contempt applied to 
Satan, the prince of the evil angels. Beel- 
zebub, in the original Greek, is, m every in- 
stance, "Beelzebul." See margin of Ke- 
vised Version. This name is not so much 
a contemptuous corruption of Baalzebub, 
the god of Ekron, as it is a desij^nation of 
idols ; hence Beelzebul = the idol of idols, 
i. e., the chief abomination, was used as an 
appellation of the prince of devils. Matt. 
10 : 25 ; 12 : 24, 27 ; Mark 3 : 22 ; Luke 11 : 
15-27. 

Beer-lahai-roi (be'er-la-hdi'roy), well of 
the living. A fountain in the wilderness, 
southwest of Beersheba, Gen. 16 : 7, 14 ; 24 : 
62 ; 25 : 11 ; perhaps Muweileh; not the same 
as that in Gen. 21 : 19. 

Beer-sheba {be'er-she'bah, or be-er'she- 
bah) well of the oath. An old place in Pales- 
tine which formed the southern hmit of 
the country. There are two accounts of 
the origin of the name. According to the 
first, the well was dug by Abraham, and 
the name given. Gen. 21 : 31 ; the other nar- 
rative ascribes the origin of the name to 
Isaac instead of Abraham. Gen. 26.: 31-33. 
Beersheba was given to Judah, Josh. 15 : 28, 
and then to Simeon, Josh. 19 : 2 ; 1 Chron. 
4 : 28. Jn the often-quoted " from Dan even 
to Beersheba," . Judg. 2:1, it represents 
the southern boundary of Canaan, as Dan 
the northern. In the time of Jerome it 
was still a considerable place. There are 
at present on the spot two principal wells 
and five smaller ones. One well is twelve 
feet in diameter and 44 feet deep to the wa- 
ter ; the other well is five feet in diameter, 
and was 42 feet to the water. The curb- 
stones around the mouths of both wells 
are worn into deep grooves by the action 
of the ropes used in drawing the water for 
many centuries. These wells are in con- 
stant use to-day. 

Bebemotli {be'he-mdth, or be-he'moth), the 
great beast ; or, if it be supposed an Egyp- 
tian word, it may mean the water-ox. A 
mammoth animal, described in Job 40 : 15- 
24, where the explanation is added in 
the margin of the R. V., " that is, the hip- 
popotamus." The identification of behe- 
moth has puzzled critics, and the strangest 
conjectures have been propounded. The 
mammoth, or other extinct quadruped, has 
been thought behemoth by some ; while 
others maintain it is the elephant ; and 
some would take the word as having a 
symbolical meaning. The weight of evi- 
dence is in favor of the hippopotamus. As 
leviathan is most likely the crocodile, it is 
not unreasonable to suppose that behemoth 
is, like the crocodile, an inhabitant of the 
Nile ; and that, as leviathan is amphibious, 
behemoth must be amphibious too, and 
hence the hippopotamus, a conclusion 
which is strengthened by the comparison 
of verses 15, 21, 22 with 24. 

Bel. Isa. 46:L See Baal. 

Belial (be'li-al), worthlessness, hence law- 
lessness, wickedness. This word is properly 
applied by the sacred writers to such lewd, 



profligate, and vile persons, as seem to re- 
gard neither God nor man. Deut. 13 : 13, 
A. v., but " base fellows," R. V. Judg. 19 : 
22 ; 1 Sam. 2 : 12. In the New Testament, 
" BeUal " is used as an appellation of Satan, 
the power or lord of evil : " What concord 
hath Christ with Belial," the prince of li- 
centiousness and corruption ? 2 Cor. 6 : 15. 

Belshazzar (bel-shdz'zar), Bel's prince, or 
may Bel pi-otect the king, was the son or 
grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and the last 
Assyrian king of Babylon. Dan. 5 : 1, 18. 
During the siege of the city of Babylon he 
gave a sumptuous entertainment to his 
courtiers, and impiously made use of the 
temple furniture (of which Nebuchadnez- 
zar had plundered the temple at Jerusalem) 
as drinking-vessels. In the midst of the 
festivities, to the terror of the king, a hand 
miraculously appeared to be writing upon 
the wall: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 
Daniel was called in to explain the mys- 
tery, which, interpreted, proved to be a 
prophecy of the king's death and the king- 
dom's overthrow, which took place in the 
course of the succeeding night, when 
Darius the Median captured the city. Dan. 
5 : 25-31. 

Belteshazzar (bSl'te-shaz'zar), BeVs 
prince, or Bel protect his life. The name 
given to the prophet Daniel at the court of 
Nebuchadnezzar. Dan. 1 : 7. See Daniel. 

Benaiah (be-nd'yah), whom Jehovah has 
built. One of David's distinguished officers, 
who succeeded, after Joab's death, to the 
command of the Hebrew army. 2 Sam. 8 : 
18 ; 23 : 20-23. There are twelve persons 
of this name mentioned in the Bible. 

Benhadad (pln'hd'dad oxMn'hd-dad), son 
of Hadad. The name of three kings of 
Damascus. 1. Benhadad I. was either son or 
grandson of Rezon, and in his time Damas- 
cus was supreme in Syria. He made an 
alhauce with Asa, and' conquered a great 
part of the north of Israel. From 1 Kings 
20-: 34 it would appear that he continued to 
make war upon Israel in Omri's time, and 
forced him to make "streets" in Samaria 
for Syrian residents. 2. Benhadad II. , son of 
the preceding, and also king of Damascus. 
Long wars with Israel characterized his 
reign. Some time after the death of Ahab, 
Benhadad renewed the war with Israel, 
attacked Samaria a second time, and 
pressed the siege so closely that there was a 
terrible famine in the city. But the Syrians 
broke up in the night in consequence of a 
sudden panic. Soon after Benhadad II. fell 
sick, and sent Hazael to consult Elisha as 
to the issue of his malady. On the day after 
Hazael's return Benhadad was murdered, 
probably by some of his own servants. 2 
Kings 8 : 7-15. He must have reigned some 30 
years. 3. Benhadad III., son of Hazael, and 
his successor on the throne of Syria. When 
he succeeded to the throne, Jehoash re- 
covered the cities which Jehoahaz had lost 
to the Syrians, and beat him in Aphek. 2 
Kings 13 : 17, 25. Jehoash gained two more 
victories, but did not restore the dominion 
of Israel on the east of Jordan. The ap- 
proximate dates of these three persons are 
950, 890 and 840 B. c. 

43 



BENJAMIN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



BETHESDA 



Benjamin (bSn'ja-mm), son of the right 
hand. 1. The youngest son of Jacob, born 
in Palestine, not far from Bethlehem, after 
the retm-n from Padan-aram. Rachel, his 
m.other, died in giving him birth, and 
named him Ben-oni, son of my sorrow, but 
the father called him Benjamin. Of Ben- 
jamin's personal character and history 
little is recorded. His brothers, touched 
perhaps with some sense of their cruel 
wrong to Joseph, seem to have treated 
him Avith tenderness; and, when they 
first went down to Egj'pt to buy corn, he 
was left at home. Gen. 42 : 3, 4, 13. Joseph, 
however, required that he should be 
brought, and, to insure the return of the 
brethren, kept Simeon as a hostage. Verses 
14-20, 33, 34. A prophetic blessing was pro- 
nounced bv Jacob upon Benjamin. Gen. 
49 : 27. The blessing of Moses, Dent. 33 : 12, 
Avas significant of the location of the tribe 
between Ephraim and Judah, on the hills 
where "the joy of the whole earth," " the 
city of the great King," was afterwards 
established, a safe and happy dv.'elhng- 
place "between his shoulders." The terri- 
tory allotted to the Benjamites extended 
froia the Jordan eastward to the frontier of 
Dan in the west. The Benjamites excelled 
as archers, 2 Chron. 17 : 17 ; while among the 
rest of Israel archery was (at least it has 
been so supposed) at one tmie neglected, 
2 Sam. 1 : 18 ; and their still in slinging with 
either hand is particularlv noted. 1 Chron. 
12 : 2 ; Judges 20 : 16. The greatest mis- 
fortune that ever befel the tribe occurred 
not very long after the settlement in Ca- 
naan. Their cities were burnt ; and there 
survived of the whole tribe but 600 men, 
for whom 'the oath of the Israehtes ren- 
dered it difficult to provide wives when the 
angry passions of the nation had settled 
down. Judg. 19 : 21. Restored to their in- 
heritance this remnant must have been 
wealthy proprietors ; three of the famihes 
are mentioned as supplving a large force 
of soldiers. 1 Chron. 7 : 6-11. The first 
monarch of Israel was a Benjamite ; and 
no doubt his own tribe would be specially 
favored. 1 Sam. 22 : 7. But the Benjamites 
never showed much attachment to Saul or 
his family. Indeed, many of them joined 
David \A hile yet an outlaw.' 1 Chron. 12 : 1-7. 
^^■e thus see the drawings of Benjamin 
towards Judah, which issued in the firm 
. union of both the tribes when the kingdom 
Hvas divided. Thenceforward the history 
of the two is identical : both went into 
captivity, and both returned. Neh. 11 : 31- 
36. The name reappears with Saul of Tarsus, 
whose glorA' was that he belonged to "the 
tribe of Benjamin." Eom. 11 : 1 ; Phil. 3 : 5. 
Thus Benjamin had the distinction of pro- 
ducing one of Israel's first judges, Ehud, 
Judg. 8 : 15, her first king, and the great 
apostle to the Gentiles. 2. A Benjamite 
chief. 1 Chron. 7 : 10. 3. One who mar- 
ried a foreign wife. Ezra 10 : 32. 4. Ben- 
jamin is mentioned as taking part in the 
dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Neh. 
12 : 34. It would seem as if an individual 
were Intended. 
Berea (pe-re'ah). A city of Macedonia, 

44 



Acts 17 : 10-13 (Beroea in R. V,), on the east- 
ern side of the Olympian mountains ; now 
Yerria, with a population of about 6000. 

Bemice (ber-nl'se). The eldest daughter 
of Herod Agrippa I., and sister to Herod 
Agrippa II., Acts 25 : 13, 23 ; 26 : 30, married 
first to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis, 
after -whose death she lived under suspi- 
cious circumstances with her brother. She 
then became the wife of Polemo, king of 
Cihcia. This marriage was soon dissolved ; 
and she returned to Agrippa, and was sub- • 
sequently the mistress first of Vespasian, 
then of Titiis. 

Berodach-Baladan. See Merodach- 
Baladan. 

Besor {be'sor), cool, cold. The name of a 
torrent emptying itself into the ]SIediterra- 
nean, near Gaza. 1 Sam. 30 : 9, 10, 21. 

Betli-abara {bSth'ub'a-rah, or bith'ah-bCi'- 
rah), house of the ford, a place bevond Jor- 
dan. John 1 : 28. The R. V. and* some of 
the best manuscripts read Bethany for Beth- 
abara ; possibly it was at Beth-nimrah, or 
Nimrin ; or, as Conder thinks, at 'Abarah, 
a leading ford of the Jordan on the road to 
Gilead. 

Bethany {b£fh'a-ny), hoiise of dates, or, of 
misery. ' A village on the eastern slope 
of Mount Olivet, about one and a half to 
two miles ("15 furlongs") east of Jerusa- 
lem, John 11 : 18, toward Jericho ; the home 
of ISIary and Martha, whither Jesus often 
went. Matt. 21 : 17 : Mark 11 : 11, 12. It was 
the home of Simon, Mark 14 : 3, the place 
Mhere Lazarus was raised from the dead, 
John 11 : 18-44 ; and near it Jesus ascended 
to heaven, Luke 24 : 50 ; named in the Gos- 
pels eleven times only. See Beth-abara. 

Beth-aven (beth'd'ven), house of vanity, 
or idols. A place and desert near Bethel 
on the east. Josh. 7:2; 18 : 12 ; 1 Sam. 13 : 
5 ; 14 : 23 ; a name reproachfully used at 
times for Bethel itself, after the golden 
calves were there set up, Hos. 4 : 15 ; 10 : 5 ; 
Bethel meaning the " house of God." 

Bethel {beth'il), house of God. Josh. 18 : 13. 
1. A town about twelve miles north of Je- 
rusalem. It was visited by Abraham, Gen. 

12 : 8 ; 13 : 3 ; marked by Jacob after his vis- 
ion of the ladder. Gen. 28 : 11-19 ; 31 : 

13 ; dwelling-place of Jacob, Gen. 85 : 1-8 ; 
name apphed to Luz, Judg. 1 : 22, 23. See 
Josh. 16 : 2 ; Gen. 28 : 19 ; Samuel judged 
there, 1 Sam. 7 : 16 ; a place of calf- worship, 

1 Kings 12 : 29 ; 2 Kings 10 : 29 ; called Beth- 
aven — i. e., "house of idols," Hos. 10 : 5 (in 
verse 8 simply Aven) ; taken by Judah, 2 
Chron. 18 : 19 ; home of prophets, 2 Kings 

2 : 2, 8 ; of a priest, 2 Kings 17 : 28 ; 23 : 15, 
19 ; was desolate, Amos 3 : 14 ; 5 : 5, 6 ; settled 
by Benjamites after the captivity, Neh. 11 : 
31 ; named about seventy times in the Old 
Testament ; not noticed in the New Testa- 
ment ; now called Beitin (nine miles south 
of Shiloh), a Adllage of about 25 Moslem 
hovels, standing amid ruins which cover 
about four acres. 

Bether, the Mountains of (be'ther). 
Song of Sol. 2 : 17. Probably near the 
Lebanon range. 

Bethesda {be-tMs-dah), house of mercy, 
OTflovdng water. A pool in Jerusalem near 



BETH-HORON 



OF THE BIBLE. 



MLt)AB 



the sheep-gate or market, John 5 : 2-9 ; tra- 
dition has identified it with the modern 
pool Birket-Israil, 360 feet long, 120 feet 
wide, and 80 feet deep, half filled with rub- 
bish, but Schick recently discovered two 
pools about 100 feet northwest of and be- 
neath the church of St. Anne (noticed in 
the tenth to fourteenth centuries), which 
answer better the Scripture description of 
Bethesda. 

Beth-horon (beth'hd'ron), house of the 
cave. The name of two places, the "Up- 
per" and "Nether" Beth-horon, Josh. 16 : 
3, 5, about three miles apart, on the oppo- 
site sides of a ravine or steep pass— the 
Thermopylae of Palestine— on the road from 
Jerusalem to the sea-coast. 

Betlilehem (beth'le-hem), house of bread. 
1. A town in the " hill-country," about six 
miles south of Jerusalem, situated on a nar- 
row ridge running eastward, which breaks 
down in abrupt terraced slopes to the deep 
valleys below. The town is 2527 feet 
above the sea. It is one of the oldest 
in Palestine. Near by was Rachel's burial- 
place (still marked by a white mosque near 
the town), and called Ephrath, Gen. 35: 
19 ; the home of Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth, 
Ruth 1 : 19 ; birthplace of David, 1 Sam. 17 : 
12 ; burial-place of Joab's family, 2 Sam. 2 : 
32 ; taken by the Philistines, and had a no- 
ted well, 2 Sam. 23 : 14, 15 ; fortified by Re- 
hoboam, 2 Chron. 11 : 6 ; foretold as the 
birthplace of Christ, Micah 5:2; the birth- 
place of Jesus, Matt. 2:1; was visited by 
the shepherds, Luke 2 : 15-17, and by the 
Magi, Matt. 2. It is noticed over 40 times 
in the Bible. It has existed as a town for 
over 4000 years. It was a small place until 
after the time of Christ ; was improved and 
its wall rebuilt by Justinian ; now has about 
5000 inhabitants, nearly all nominally Chris- 
tians, mostly of the Greek church. It is 
now called Beit-lahm. It is surrounded by 
nicely-kept terraces covered with vine, 
oUve, and fig trees. The church of the Na- 
tivity, the oldest in Christendom, built in 
A. D. 330 by the empress Helena, stands 
over the grotto reputed to be the place of 
our Lord's birth, and is the joint property 
of the Greeks, Latins, and Armenians, who 
have separate convents adjoining it. The 
"plain of the Shepherds" is about a mile 
from the town. 

Beth-peor (beth'pe'or), temple of Peor. 
A place where the worship of Baal-peor 
had prevailed, in the district allotted to 
Reuben. Deut. 3 : 29 ; 4 : 46 ; Josh. 13 : 20. 
It was in a ravine over against Beth-peor 
that Moses was buried. Deut. 34 : 6. 

Bethphage [bSth'fa-jee ; Eng. bWi'fdj), 
house of green figs. A place near Beth- 
any, Matt. 21 : 1 ; Mark 11 : 1 ; Luke 19 : 29, 
and possibly west of that place. 

Bethsaida {beth'sd'i-dah), house of fish- 
ing. A city of GaUlee, near Capernaum. 
John 12 : 21 ; Matt. 11 : 21. Some writers 
urge that there were two Bethsaidas, since 
the desert place where the 5000 were 
fed belonged to " the city called Beth- 
saida," Luke 9 : 10, while after the miracle 
the disciples were to go before him unto 
the other side to Bethsaida, Mark 6 : 45, 



which it is said could not refer to the same 
town. If there were two towns of this 
name, the first one was in Galilee on the 
west side of the lake, and 2. Bethsaida Julias, 
in Gaulanitis, on the eastern bank of the 
Jordan, near its entrance into the lake. 
Others think it unlikely that two cities in 
such close neighborhood should have borne 
the same name. Hence Dr. 'W. M. Thom- 
son supposes that there was but one Beth- 
saida, which was built on both sides of the 
Jordan, and places the site at Abu-Zany, 
where the Jordan empties into the Lake 
of Gahlee. The Sinaitic manuscrijjt omits 
" belonging to a city called Bethsaida" in 
Luke 9:10; hence, Wilson agrees that there 
is no necessity for two Bethsaidas. The 
eastern city was beautified by PhiKp the 
tetrarch, and called Bethsaida Juhas (in 
honor of a daughter of the emperor Au- 
gustus), perhaps to distinguish it from the 
western Bethsaida, in Gahlee. 

Beth-shean {bSth'she'an), house of quiet. 
Betlisan {bWi'san), or Bethslian (bsth'- 
shan). A city five miles west of the Jordan, 
first in Issachar, but later in Manasseh. 
Josh. 17 : 11 ; 1 Chron. 7 : 29. Saul's body 
was fastened to its walls, 1 Sam. 31 : 10, 12 ; 
after the captivity it was called Scythop- 
olis, and was a chief city of Decapohs ; now 
Beisan, having ruins of temples, colon- 
nades, hippodrome, theatre, and city walls, 

Betli-shemesli {bWi-she'mesh, orbeth'she- 
mesh), house of the sun. 1. A city on the 
north of Judah belonging to the priests. 
Josh. 15 : 10 ; 21 : 16 ; perhaps Ir-shemesh 
and Mount Heres, Josh. 19 : 41 ; Judg. 1 : 
35 ; noted as the place to which the ark 
was returned, 1 Sam. 6 : 9-20 ; now a heap 
of ruins near 'Ain Shems, about 14 miles 
west of Jerusalem. 2. A fenced city of 
NaphtaU. Josh. 19 : 38. 3. A city on the 
border of Issachar, Josh. 19 : 22 ; perhaps 
the same as No. 2. 4. A place in Egypt, Jer. 
43 : 13 ; same as Heliopolis, or On. See On. 

Betroth. See Marriage. 

Beulali {beu'lah, or be-u'lah), married. 
This word is used metaphorically of Judea, 
as of a land which, though desolated, Jeho- 
vah would again delight in, and it should 
be filled with inhabitants. Isa. 62 : 4. 

Bezaleel (be-zal'e-el), in the shadow of 
God, i.e., in his protection. Bezalel {bez'ah- 
lel), R. v. 1. An artificer endued by God with 
special skill for constructing and adorning 
the tabernacle. Ex. 31 : 2 ; 35 : 30. 2. One 
who put away his strange wife, after the 
exile. Ezra 10 : 30. 

'Bezek (be'zek), lightning. 1. A city in the 
allotment of Judah, where Adoni-bezek 
Uved, whom the Israelites, having defeated 
the Canaanites and Perizzites, took pris- 
oner. Judg. 1 : 3-5. 2. A place where Saul 
reviewed his troops previously to the relief 
of Jabesh-gilead, 1 Sam. 11 : 8 ; it was within 
a day's march of Jabesh (9). 

Bible. See Scriptures. 

Bier. Luke 7 : 14. See Burial. 

Bildad {bil'ddd), son of contention, i. e., 
quarreller. One of Job's friends, called the 
Shuhite. Job 2 : 11 ; 8 : 1 ; 18 : 1 ; 25 : 1 ; 42 : 
9. He is abrupt, almost unfeeling in the 
part he takes in the discussion with Job ; 

45 



BIRTHRIGHT 



PEOPLE'S DlCTIOXAltY 



BLESSDCG 



and his arguments are not always to the 
point. See Job. 

Birthright. Gen. 25 : 31. The first-bom 
son among the Jews enjoyed special priv- 
ileges above his brethren * and these priv- 
ileges were hence called his birthright, or 
his right by binh. Among these privileges 
were : great dignity, Gen. 49 : 3 : a double 
portion of his fathers estate. Dent. 21 : 17 ; 
and, in the royal famiUes, usually succes- 
sion to the kingdom, 2 Chron. 21 : 3 ; conse- 
cration to the Lord, Ex. 22:29. In conse- 
quence of this fact— that God had taken 
the Levites from among the children of 
Israel, instead of all the first-born, to serve 
him as priests — the first-born of the orher 
tribes were to be redeemed at a valuation 
made by the priest, not exceeding five 
shekels, from serving God in that capacitv. 
Num. 18 : 15, 16 ; comp. Luke 2 : 22 ff".— 
Homes Introduction. The eldest son seems 
to have been regarded, in the father's ab- 
sence, as in some respects his representa- 
tive. A father might direct how his prop- 
err\- should be distributed after his death, 
hough it interfered with ordinary' customs ; 
but we hear nothing of the will in a tech- 
nical sense in the Bible, until we come to 
the epistle to the Galatians. Daughters 
were generally left jKDrrionless, it being ex- 
pected that they would be provided for by 
the eldest brother or by theu' husbands. 
When there were no sons, however, they 
became joint heirs of their father's estate, 
providing they did not marrj- outside the 
family line. Even then they might claim 
their 'portion if the husband took the fam- 
ily name of his •«ife. In cases Avhere there 
were only daughters in the family, and 
they unmarried, their names were entered 
in the registers of famihes as representa- 
tives of the father's house. See BisseU's 
Biblical Antiquities. The paternal blessing 
was also in a pecuhar sense the right of the 
first-born, though the right itself and all 
the blessings of it might be forfeited or 
transferred, as in the case of Jacob and 
Esau, Gen. 25 : 83 ; Reuben and Joseph, 1 
Chron. 5 : 1. But by whomsoever enjoyed, it 
was regarded as invested -with great dignity 
and superiority. The Jews attached a sa- 
cred import to'the title "first-bom." Hence 
the i)ecuhar force and appropriateness of 
the titles "first-born," "first-begotten," 
given to the divine Redeemer. Rom. 8 : 
29 ; Col. 1 : 18 : Heb. 1 : 2. 4. 6. 

Bishop. 1 Tim. 3 : 2. The original word 
means " overseer," such as Joseph was in 
Potiphar's house. Gen. 39 : 4, or as the 3600 
men were in Solomon's temple, 2 Chron. 2 : 
18, or as Uzzi was of the Le-sites, Xeh. 11 : 
22. In the New Testament the term is 
synon>Tnous Avith presbyter or elder, with 
this difference — that bishop is borrowed 
from the Greek and signifies the function ; 
presbyter is derived from an office in the 
synagogue and signifies the dignity of the 
same oflice. Comp. Acts 20 : 17, 28 : 'Phil. 1 ; 
1 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 1 fi". ; Tit. 1 : 5 ff'. These pres- 
byters or bishops of the apostolic period 
were the regular teachers and pastors, 
preachers and leaders, of the congregations. 
We may imagine, however, that among 

46 



themselves there would be a division made ' 
according to individual fitness. Each con- 
gregation of Christians, as gathered by the 
apostles, was organized into a church, 'hav- 
ing a number of elders, or bishops, ordained 
over it. Acts 15 : 23 ; 20 : 17, 28 ; PhiL 1:1; 
Titus 1 : 5, 7. indicating that the office was 
the same. See Elder. 

BithjTiia (bl'tfim'i-ah). A rich Roman 
province of Asia iNIinor, on the Black Sea ; 
named onlv twice in scripture. Acts 16 : 7 ; 
1 Pet. 1 : 1. 

Bitter Herbs. Ex. 12 : 8. The Jews 
were commanded to eat the Passover with 
a salad of bitter herbs ; and the Rabbins 
tell us that such plants as wild lettuce, en- J 
dives, and chicory Avere employed for that 
purpose, as they still are by the Arabs In 
those regions. 'The use of 'them on that 
occasion was intended to call to their re- 
membrance the severe and cruel bondage 
from which God dehvered them when they 
were brought out of EgA'pt. 

Blains. Ex. 9 : 9. Pustules rising in the 
skin. There was first an ulcer and boil in- 
flamed : then the pustules, or blains, broke 
out on it. This was one of the most fearful 
of the ten plagues inflicted upon the Egyp- 
tians. We may conceive its intensity, when 
we find that it utterly disabled the magi- 
cians who were afflicted ■with it from meet- 
ing Moses. Ex. 9 : 8-11. It has been thought 
to be the black leprosy, a virulent kind of 
elephantiasis, "the botch of Egypt," "a 
sore botch that camiot be healed," *Deut. 28 : 
27, 35 ; that same disease which afflicted 
Job. Job 2 : 7. 

Blasphemy. Irreverent or insulting lan- 
guage in regard to God. Ps. 74 : 18 ; Rom. 
2 : 24, and elsewhere. But the original 
words in scripture had often a wider sig- 
nification, and meant evil-speaking, slan- 
der, reviUng generally. Matt. 15 : 19 ; Luke 
22 : 65, and elsewhere. The punishment 
prescribed by the Mosaic law for the crime 
of actual blasphemy was death by stoning. 
This we find executed on the son of Shelo- 
mith. Lev. 24 : 10-16 ; and it was on this 
charge, though a false one, that our Lord 
and Stephen were condemned. Matt. 26 : 
65, 66 ; Acts 6 : 11. If Jesus had not been 
the Son of God, his assumption of equality 
with the Father u-ould have been blasphe- 
mous. That assumption was true ; but the 
Jews accused him of blasphemy because 
they knew not who he was. In regard to 
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, the es- 
sence of this fearful sin seems to have been 
that the Jews, shutting their eyes to the 
proof of miracles which Christ gave, dar- 
ingly attributed those good works to an un- 
clea'n spirit. Mark 3 : 28-30. So a desperate 
resistance to the gracious influence of the 
Holy Spirit shuts up the soul to irretrievable 
ruin. It is not that the blood of Jesus 
Christ could not cleanse such a sinner, but 
that the man defeats the kind purpose that 
would lead him to it. He never applies 
to the fountain of unlimited %irtue ; and 
so he remains uncleansed forever. 

Blessing. Gen. 12 : 2. This word is 
variously tised in Scripture. God is said to 
bless his creatures. This is not merely the 



BLOOD 



OP mP SlBLR 



BOOK 



expression of a wish for their welfare, but 
the actual bestowal of some good, or the 
means towards a good. Gen. 1 : 22 ; 32 : 29 ; 
Job 42 : 12 ; Acts 3 : 26 ; and elsewhere. Some- 
times creatures are said to bless their Crea- 
tor, when they acknowledge his kindnesses 
and seek to show forth his praise. Ps. 103 : 
1, 2 ; 134 : 1, 2. Sometimes men bless their 
fellow-creatures, when they express their 
gratitude for favors received, pray for a 
blessing upon them, or predict their pros- 
perity. Gen. 14 : 18-20 ; 28 : 1-4 : 47 : 7-10 ; 
Num. 24 : 10 ; Job 29 : 13. And, as thus to 
bless is the expression of gratitude or kind- 
ness, so a token of gratitude or kindness, 
that is, a gift, is sometimes called a bless- 
ing. 2 Kings 5 : 15. 

Blood. The blood of an animal is de- 
clared to be "the life" of it. Gen. 9:4; 
Lev. 17 : 11. And hence God may be said 
to have reserved it to himself ; it was not 
to be eaten ; it was that by which sacrificial 
atonement was made; all the cleansings 
of the law being by the shedding and 
sprinkhng of blood. Heb. 9 : 18-22. Ill this 
respect it had a typical meaning. The 
blood-shedding of the Mosaic victims pre- 
figured that greater and more efficacious 
blood-shedding, when Christ gave his hfe 
for mankind, Matt. 20 : 28 ; 1 John 3 : 16 ; so 
that his blood " cleanse th from all sin." 1 
John 1 : 7. Further, when blood was shed 
wantonly, a curse was incurred. The blood 
of a bird or animal was to be poured upon 
the ground and covered up. Lev. 17 : 13 ; 
and the blood of a man cried for vengeance 
against the murderer. Gen. 4 : 10, 11. Hence 
the command to Noah that a murderer 
must be put to death, Gen. 9 : 6, a cormnand 
sanctioned in the Mosaic legislation, Nmn. 
35 : 30, 31, 33, a command which it would 
be hard to prove not intended to be bind- 
ing as an universal law upon the world. 
And, if any one was slain, and the slayer 
could not be found, the nearest city was to 
make an atonement. Deut. 21 : 1-9. In the 
earher law it is written, " Surely your blood 
of your hves will I require ... At the 
hand of every man's brother will I require 
the hfe of man. Whoso sheddeth man's 
blood, by man shall his blood be shed." 
Gen. 9 : 5, 6. In the Lord's Supper we are re- 
minded of Christ's giving his Mfe for us. 
He said : "This cup is the New Testament 
in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke 
22 : 20 ; Mark 14 : 24. Our ascription of praise 
is: "Unto him that loved us, and washed 
us from our sins in his own blood." See 
Sacrifice. 

Boanerges (po'a-ner'jes), sons of thunder. 
The name Christ gave to James and John, 
probably because of their fiery zeal ; for 
proof of which see Luke 9 : 54 ; Mark 9 : 38 ; 
comp. Matt. 20 : 20. 

Boaz ipd'az), or Booz {ho'oz), lovely. 1. 
Was a descendant of Judah, Ruth 2 : 1, and 
through him is traced the regular suc- 
cession of Jewish idngs and of Christ. 
Matt. 1 : 5. Boaz was a man of wealth and 
of great respectability. He married Ruth 
and begat Obed, the father of Jesse, the 
father of David. 2. One of the brazen pil- 
lars erected by Solomon before the portico 



of the temple. Its companion was Jacliin. 
They were named for their givers or mak- 
ers, or else had a symbohcal meaning. 1 
Kings 7 : 21 ; 2 Chron. 3 : 17 ; Jer. 52 : 21. 

Book. 1 Chron. 29 : 29 ; Rev. 10 : 2. Books 
in the form we have them were unknown 
to the ancients. The materials employed 
by them to write upon, and sometimes now 
called books, were of various kinds. Plates 
of lead or copper or of wood, coated with 
wax, were in common use, the inscriptions 
being made with a stylus. Tablets of this 
latter kind were in use in England as late 
as 1300. Leaves and the bark of trees were 
also used, such as the Egyptian papyrus, 
from which our word paper is derived. 
The skins of animals were also in use, the 
books being prepared in the form of long 
rolls, twelve or fourteen inches wide, and 
fastened at each end to sticks, not unhke 
the rollers to which maps are attached. A 
very good idea may be formed of an an- 
cient roll by supposing a common newspa- 
per to have rods or rollers at the right and 
left sides. The reader takes hold of the 
rods, and unrolls the sheet until he comes 
to the desired column. Thus, in Luke 4 : 
17, the phrase "opened the book," should 
probably read "unrolled the scroll," and 
in verse 20, for "closed the book," read 
" rolled up the volume," or " scroll." This 
shows the force of the figure, Isa. 34 : 4, 
where the heavens are represented as rolled, 
together as suddenly as the opposite ends 
of an unrolled scroll fly to meet each other 
when the hand of the reader is withdrawn 
from it. Thus a book means one complete 
"roll;" so we read of the "book of the 
law ; " the " book of hfe," Rev. 21 : 27 ; see 
Ps. 69 : 28 ; " books of judgment, " Dan. 7 : 
10 ; "book of Jasher" (or righteous), Josh. 
10:13; "book of the Chronicles of," etc., 
R. v., " the kings of Judah," 1 Kings 14.: 
19, 29; "book of the generation," or the 
genealogical records. Gen. 5:1; Matt. 1 : 1, 
A kind of paper was made from the stalk 
of an Egyptian vegetable called papyrus, 
or paper reed, which is still found in va- 
rious parts of India. The stalk was sht 
with a needle into plates or layers as broad 
and thin as possible. Some of them were 
ten or fifteen inches broad. These strips 
were laid side by side upon a flat horizontal 
surface, and then immersed in the water 
of the Nile, which not only served as a 
kind of sizing, but also caused the edges 
of the strips to adhere together as if glued. 
The sheets thus formed were dried in the 
sun, and then covered with a fine wash, 
which made them smooth and flexible. 
They were finally beaten with hammers, 
and pohshed. Twenty or more of these 
sheets were sometimes connected in one 
roll. In ancient times, writings that were 
to be sealed were first wrapped round with 
thread or flax, to which the wax and seal 
were applied. These seals must be broken 
before the book could be read. In Assyria, 
the ancient writings were upon tablets, and 
cylinders made of clay. Large hbraries of 
this character have been K)und in the 
ruins of Nineveh, Babylon, and adjacent 
cities. The pen was either a stylus made 

47 



Soots 



PEOPLE'S PiCflO^ARY 



BMCK 



of some hard substance, Jer. 17 : 1, or a reed 
pen similar to that now in use in the East. 
See Jer. 36 : 23. The ink M^as carried in a 
•hollow horn fastened to the girdle. Ezek. 
9 : 2. See Bulrush. 

Booth. Gen. 33 : 17. See Dwelling. 

Bottle. Several words are used in Scrip- 
ture which our translators have rendered 
" bottle." The skins of kids and goats, and 
sometimes of oxen, are used for the pur- 
pose of holding hquids. When the animal 
is killed, the head and feet are cut off, and 
the body drawn out without any further 
incision. The skin is tanned with acacia 
bark ; the legs then serve for handles, and 
the neck as the mouth of the " bottle," 
being tied up when the wine or water, as 
the case may be, has been poured in. The 
hairy side is outward. These bottles are 
still in constant use in SjTia and the adja- 
cent countries, and are very common also 
in Spain. 

Bow. Gen. 27 : 3. See Arms. 

Box Tree. Isa. 41 : 19. A small ever- 
green tree, either the same with or closely 
resembhng the shrubby box of our gardens. 

Bozrah (hdz'rah), fortress. Two cities. 
1. Bozrah in Edom, Isa. 34 : 6 ; 63 : 1, which 
was to become a perpetual waste, Jer. 49 : 
13 ; Amos 1 : 12 ; Micah 2 : 12 ; modern Busei- 
reh, in the mountains of Petra, 20 miles 
southeast of the Dead Sea. 2. Bozrah in 
Moab. Jer. 48 : 24. Judgment has surely 
fallen upon it. Porter thinks it is the same 
as modern Buzrah, where are the ruins of 
a magnificent city nearly five miles in cir- 
cuit, once having 100,000 inhabitants, but 
now only 20 families. It is near the Hau- 
ran, 60 miles south of Damascus. Portions 
of its massive walls and towers, theatre, 
temples, stone doors and roofs, some of the 
ruins of the work of the early inhabitants, 
perhaps the giants Rephaim, but more 
likely of the later Roman builders, are 
still to be seen in good state of preserva- 
tion. 

Bracelet. Gen. 24 : 30. See Garments. 

Branch. This word is often used figu- 
ratively in Scripture. A branch is a de- 
scendant from a tree the parent, Isa. 11 : 1 ; 
or it signifies one united to or dependent 
upon another. Thus, Christ is the vine ; 
and his disciples are the branches. John 
15 : 5. Hence Paul's metaphor, Rom. 11 : 
17-24, is easily understood. Beside the 
more general symbolical meaning, the term 
" branch " is sometimes specifically apphed 
to the Messiah, as in Jer. 23 : 5 ; 33 : 15, 
where the promise runs that, from David's 
royal stock, a branch of righteousness, a 
righteous descendant, shall spring. And 
the same exalted personage is again pre- 
dicted, Zech. 3:8; 6 : 12, the branch that 
shall grow and flourish, and become glo- 
rious, and endure for ever. 

Brass. The " brass " frequently spoken 
of in Scripture is not that compound metal 
to which we give the name of brass ; for it 
is described as dug from the mine. Deut. 
8:9; Job 28 : 2, Very frequently copper is 
meant ; and, no doubt, also bronze, which 
i& a composition of copper and tin, while 
brass is copper and zinc. 

. 48 



Brazen Sea. 2 Kings 25 : 13. See Ijaver. 

Bread {bred). Gen. 14 : 18. The bread 
of the better class of Jews was generally 
made of wheat; barley and other grains 
were sometimes used. Judg. 7 : 13. The 
materials were prepared as in modern times 
in the East. The process of kneading it 
was performed in kneading-troughs, Gen. 
18 : 6 ; Ex. 12 : 34 ; Jer. 7 : 18, or wooden 
bowls, such as the Arabians use at this day 
for a like purpose. It has been supposed 
by some that the kneading was done upon 
a circular piece of leather, such as is now 
used in Persia, and which would be more 
properly called a kneading-bag, as it draws 
up like a knapsack. Either of the utensils 
would be easily transported. Veiy simple 
leaven was used in the dough. The loaves 
were shaped like a plate, and, when leav- 
ened, were ordinarily of the thickness of 
one's httle finger. The unleavened bread 
was very thin, and was broken, not cut. 
Lam. 4:4; Matt. 14 : 19 ; 15 : 36 ; 26 : 26. It 
has Ijeen said that the thickness or thin- 
ness of the loaves was regulated by the 
time they were to be kept ; that which was 
to be kept longest being made thick, that 
it might retain its moisture. This is con- 
trary to modern philosophy on this subject, 
as we see in the manufacture of ship bread. 
For the mode of baking see Oven. The 
term bread is often used for food or provi- 
sions in general. 

Breastplate. The name of a part of 
the ofiBcial dress of the Jewish high priest. 
Ex. 28 : 15. It was a piece of embroidered 
work, about ten inches square and made 
double, with a front and Mning, so as to an- 
swer for a pouch or bag. It was adorned 
with twelve precious stones. See High 
Priest. The two upper corners were fas- 
tened to the ephod, from which it was not 
to be loosed, Ex. 28 : 28, and the two lower 
corners to the girdle. The rings, chains, 
and other fastenings were of gold or rich 
lace. It was called the memorial, Ex. 28 : 
12, 29, inasmuch as it reminded the priest 
of his representative character in relation 
to the twelve tribes ; and it is also called 
the breastplate of judgment, Ex. 28 : 15, 
perhaps because it was worn by him who 
was instrumentally the fountain of justice 
and judgment to the Jewish church. Oth- 
ers think it is because the Urim and Thum- 
mim were annexed to it. 

Brick. In Scripture bricks are frequently 
and early mentioned, as well as the mate- 
rial with which they were cemented. Gen. 
11:3. Both the "slime" or bitumen, and 
the clay of which the bricks were formed, 
were abundant in the Mesopotamian .plain. 
Bricks appear to have been, in Egypt and 
at Nineveh, very generally sun-dried : for 
the Babylonian buildings they were more 
commonly burnt in kilns. The clay was 
sometimes mixed with chopped straw to 
increase the tenacity and compactness of 
the bricks; and this" was the more needful 
when the material was the Nile mud. Ex. 
1 : 14 ; 5 : 6-19. Egyptian bricks, with dates 
upon them, are still preserved as fit for use 
as when they were first made. They are 
of a large si^e, varying from 143^ to 20 Inches 



BRIDE 



OF THE BIBLE. 



C^SAH 



in length ; 63^ to 8^ inches in breadth ; 
and in thickness 4>^ to 7 inches. 

Bride and Bridegroom. Isa. 62 : 5. 
See Marriage. 

Brigandine. Jer. 46 : 4, A. V. It is 
translated "coat of mail" in R. V. See 
Armor. 

Buckler. Ps. 18 : 2. See Armor. 

Building. Ezra 5 : 4. See Dwellings. 

Bui. 1 Kings 6 : 38. See Month. 

Bulrush. Isa. 18:2, A. V.; "papyrus" 
in R. V. A species of reed found on the 
marshes of the Nile, and grows to the height 
of twelve or fifteen feet. The stalks are 
pUable, and capable of being interwoven 
very closely, as is evident from its being 
used in the construction of the "ark" or 
boat-cradle in which Moses was hid by his 
mother. Ex. 2 : 3, 5. It was from this veg- 
etable that the papyrus was derived, which 
was used for writing. It was made of the 
inside bark, which was cut into strips, and 
the edges cemented together, and dried in 
the sun. The fact that the papyrus was 
used for food when prepared in one way, 
and for writing when prepared in another 
way, explains the passages in which the 
eating of books, etc., is mentioned. Jer. 
15 : 16 ; Ezek. 3 : 1, 3 ; Rev. 10 : 8-10. 

Burden. Is often used figuratively, to 
denote afiiictions, faiUngs, sins, Ps. 38 : 4 ; 
55 : 22 ; Gal. 6:2; services under the law. 
Matt. 23 : 4 ; official responsibihties, Ex. 18 : 
22 ; Deut. 1 : 12 ; and especially prophetic 
messages, not always of a threatening char- 
acter. Isa. 19 : 1. In this last sense the He- 
brew word may be rendered "oracle," 
"divine declaration," or "prophecy," as in 
Prov. 30 : 1 ; 31 : 1. See Jer. 23 : 33-40. 

Burial. The Hebrews did not burn, but 
buried their dead, usually in caves and 
artificial tombs. Gen. 25 : 9 ; 35 : 29. To be 
deprived of burial was thought one of the 
greatest marks of dishonor. Eccl. 6:3; Jer. 
22 : 18, 19. It was denied to none, seldom 
even to enemies. Deut. 21 : 23 ; 1 Kings 11 : 
15. Good men made it a part of their piety 
to inter the dead. Unburied corpses pol- 
luted their land if the dead were exposed 
to view. 2 Sam. 21 : 14. The touch of a 
dead body, or of anything that had touched 
a dead body, was esteemed a defilement, 
and required a ceremonial cleansing. Num. 
19 : 11-22. Only three cases of burning the 
bodies of the dead occur in Scripture : the 
family of Achan, after they were stoned, 
Josh. 7 : 24, 25, the mangled remains of Saul 
and his sons, 1 Sam. 31 : 12, and perhaps the 
victims of some plague, Amos 6 : 10. The 
nearest relatives usually closed the eyes 
of the dying, gave them the parting kiss, 
and then began the waiUng for the dead. 
Gen. 46:4:50:1. The loud and shrill 
lamentations referred to in Mark 5 : 38, John 
11 : 19, were by hired mourners, see also 
Jer. 9 : 17, 18 ; Amos 5 : 16, who praised the 
deceased. Acts 9 : 39, and by doleful cries 
and frantic gestures, aided at times by mel- 
ancholy tones of music. Matt. 9 : 23, strove 
to express the deepest grief, Ezek. 24 : 17, 18. 
Immediately after death the body was 
washed, and laid out in a convenient room, 
Acts 9 : 37-39, and sometimes anointed, Matt. 



26 : 12. It was wrapped in many folds of 
hnen, with spices, and the head bound 
about with a napkin, as the body of Jesus 
was, Matt. 27 : 59 ; sometimes each limb and . 
finger wrapped separately, John 11 : 44, as 
the mummies of Egypt are found to have 
been. But among the Jews the body was 
not embalmed, and the burial took place 
very soon, on account both of the heat of 
the chmate and of the ceremonial unclean- 
ness incurred. Rarely did 24 hours elapse 
between death and burial. Acts 5:6, 10 ; 
and in Jerusalem now burial, as a general 
rule, is not delayed more than three or four 
hours. The body was wrapped in the gar- 
ments worn when hving, or hnen cloths 
thrown over it, and it was placed upon a 
bier— a board borne by men — to be con- 
veyed to the tomb. 2 Sam. 3 : 31 ; Luke 7 : 
14. Sometimes a more costly bier or bed 
was used, 2 Chron. 16 : 14 ; and the bodies 
of kings and some others may have been 
laid in stone sarcophagi. Gen. 50 : 26 ; 
2 Kings 13 : 21. The tomb was usually with- 
out the city, and spices and aromatic woods 
were often burned at the burial. 2 Chron. 
16 : 14. A banquet sometimes followed the 
funeral, Jer. 16 : 7, 8 ; and the bereaved 
friends were wont to go to the grave from 
time to time, to weep, John 11 : 31 ; a custom 
observed even at this day. 

Burnt Offering. Gen. 8 : 20. See Sac- 
rifice. 

Bushel. Matt. 5 : 15. See Measures. 

Butler. Gen. 40 : 1. See Cup-beai-er. 

Butter. The word so rendered in our 
version very frequently means curds, cur- 
dled or sour milk, M^hich has fermented. 
Gen. 18 : 8 ; Judg. 5 : 25 ; 2 Sam. 17 : 29 ; Isa. 
7 : 22. In some places it is put for milk in 
general. Deut. 32 : 14 ; Job 20 : 17 ; 29 : 6. 
It is used to illustrate the smooth deceit of 
an enemy. Ps. 55 : 21. In Prov. 30 : 33 some 
would read cheese. Butter, indeed, as we 
understand and use it, is not known in 
Syria; it would soon become rancid and 
unfit for food. But there is a process of 
churning Avhich Dr. Thomson describes. 
A bottle is made by stripping off entire the 
skin of a young buffalo. This is filled with 
milk, kneaded, wrung, and shaken, till, 
such as it is, the butter comes. This butter 
is then taken out, boiled or melted, and put 
into bottles made of goats' skins. In winter 
it resembles candied honey ; in summer it is 
mere oil. Probably it is this substance, and 
this mode of churning, that is alluded to 
in Prov. 30 : 33. 



Cab. 2 Kings 6 : 25. See Measures. 

Cabin. Jer. 37 : 16. A prison cell. 

Caesar, R. V., but Cesar, A. V. {se'zar), 
cut or gash. The official title of the Roman 
emperors. It comes from the famous Juhus 
Csesar. It occurs about 30 times in the 
N. T., and is applied to Augustus, Luke 2:1; 
Tiberius, Luke 3:1; Claudius, Acts 11 : 28 ; 
and Nero, Acts 25 : 8. Such Jews as were 
Roman citizens had the right of appeal to 
Csesar, Acts 25:11, who was their rulei:. 

49 



C^SAEEA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



CALF 



For an account of these, see Augustus, 
Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. 

Csesarea {sSs-a-re'ah). The chief Eoman 
city of Palestine in New Testament times. 
It was on the Mediterranean, about 47 miles 
northwest of Jerusalem. It was first called 
" Strato's Tower." Herod the Great built a 
city there, B. c. 10, and named it in honor 
of Augustus Caesar. Herod Agrippa I. died 
there, Acts 12 : 19-23. Philip the evangehst 
hved there, Acts 8 : 40 ; 21 : 8 ; and Cornelius, 
10 : 1-24. Paul frequently visited it, 9 : 30 ; 
18:22; 21:8; 23:33; was in bonds there 
two j^ears, 24 : 27 ; it was the official resi- 
dence of Festus and of Fehx. It is now 
in ruins, and is called Kaisarieh. 

Caesarea-Philippi (sis-a-re'ah-fi-Tip'pl), 
now called Banias by the Arabs, is a town 
at the base of Mount Hermon, about 20 
miles north of the Sea of Galilee and 45 
miles southwest of Damascios. It was the 
northern hmit of our Lord's journeys, Matt. 
16 : 13 ; Mark 8 : 27, and was probably Baal- 
gad of Old Testament historj-. It was here 
that Peter, in the name of all the other 
apostles, made that confession of faith in 
Christ as the Son of God, and that Christ 
uttered the prophecy concerning the in- 
destructible character of his church. Matt. 
16:16flf. The town is remarkable for its 
physical and historical associations. It was 
near two important sources of the Jordan ; 
its ancient classical name was Paneas, in 
commemoration of the sanctuarj- of the 
god Pan: it was enlarged by Philip the 
tetrarch, and named Csesarea-Philippi to 
distinguish it from the other Csesarea, on the 
Mediterranean; later on it was called 
Neronias by Herod Agrippa II. ; it became 
the seat of' a bishopric : it was repeatedly 
taken during the Crusades. 

Caiaplias (kd'ya-fas), depression. A high 
priest of the Jews, a. d. 27-36, and presided 
over the Sanhedrin at the time of our Sa- 
viour's trial. John 11 : 49, 51. The office 
was formerly held for life, but at this time 
the high priest Avas appointed at the pleas- 
ure of the Roman government. The rais- 
ing of Lazarus angered the Sanhedrin, and 
Caiaphas turned their thoughts toward the 
execution of the hated and feared teacher 
Jesus by deUberately advising his death on 
the plea of expediency. His language was 
unconscious prophecy !^ John 11 : 49-52. Cai- 
aphas was deposed by the proconsul Yitel- 
hus, 36 A. D. 

Cain (kdin), possession. Gen. 4. 1. The 
eldest son of Adam and Eve; he tilled 
the ground as a farmer. In a fit of jeal- 
ousy, roused by the rejection of his own 
sacrifice and the acceptance of Abel's, he 
slew his brother, and became an exile from 
God's presence, but received a promise of 
protection from the avenger of blood. He 
settled in the land of Nod, and built a city, 
which he named after his son Enoch. His 
descendants are enumerated, together with 
the inventions for which they were re- 
markable. 2. A cit3', called "Kain" in R. 
v., in the mountains of Judah. Josh. 15 ; 
57. 

Calamus, Song of Sol. 4 : 14 ; Ezek. 27 : 19, 
or Sweet Calamus, Ex. 80 ; 23, or Sweet 
50 



Cane, Isa. 43 : 24 ; Jer. 6 : 20. These ara 
probably names for the same plant. It 
seems to have been an aromatic reed 
brought "from a far country." Lemon- 
grass is "a plant of remarkable fragrance 
and a native of Central India, where it is 
used to mix with ointments, on account of 
the dehcacy of its odor." Calamus may 
have been a species of this. 

Caleli, Gen. 10 : 11, age. See Assyria. 

Caleb {kd'leb), capable. 1. According to 
1 Chron. 2 : 9, where he is called Cheliibai 
(ke-lu'bai), 18, 19, 42, 50, the son of Hezron, 
the son of Pharez, the son of Judah, and 
the father of Hur, and consequently grand- 
father of Caleb, one of the twelve spies. 
2. The son of Jephunneh, one of the twelve 
spies sent by Moses to Canaan. Num. 13 : 
6. He and Oshea, or Joshua the son of 
Nun, were the only two who brought a fa- 
vorable report and encouraged the people 
boldly to take possession of the land. For- 
ty-five years afterwards Caleb came to 
Joshua and claimed possession of the land 
of the Anakim, Kii^ath-arba or Hebron, 
and the neighboring hill country. Josh. 
14. This was immediately granted to him, 
and the following chapter relates how he 
took possession of Hebron, driving out the 
three sons of Anak ; and how he offered 
Achsah his daughter in marriage to who- 
ever would take Kiijath-sepher, i. e., Debir, 
and when Othniel, his brother or nephew, 
had performed the feat, he not only gave 
him his daughter to wife, but with her the 
upper and nether springs of water which 
she desired. Josh. 15 : 16-19. 

Calf. The young of cattle, much used 
in sacrifice, often stall-fed, and regarded as 
choice food. Gen. 18 : 7 ; 1 Sam. 28 : 24 ; 
Amos 6:4; Luke 15:23, 27, 30. Some of 
the Egyptian deities, as Apis and Mnevis, 
were honored under the sj'mbol of a calf. 
There were two notable occasions on which 
calf-like images were set up by the Israel- 
ites for worship. The first was Avhen Aaron, 
at the demand of the people, made of their 
golden ear-rings a molten calf, hollow prob- 
ably, or of gold plating upon wood. After 
the'metal Avas cast it AA^as fashioned, fin- 
ished or ornamented, Avith a graAing tool. 
Moses, when he saw it, burnt and reduced 
this image to powder, cast it into the water 
and made the HebrcAvs drink it. Ex. 32. 
Some centuries later Jeroboam set up golden 
calves at Dan and Bethel, AA'hich thus became 
and long continued to be centres of unhal- 
loAA'ed worship. 1 Kings 12 : 28-30. Some 
suppose it Avas intended to honor Jehovah 
by these visible symbols, or at least to mix 
his worship with that of idols. For exam- 
ple, Aaron proclaimed "a feast to the Lord," 
Ex. 32 : 5 ; and Jeroboam, we may fairly 
beheve, neA-er hoped to keep his subjects 
from resorting to Jerusalem, by at once 
setting up a god in doAvnright opposition 
to JehoA-ah. His object was to persuade 
them that their worship Avould be as ac- 
ceptable by means of his symbols as by the 
ceremonials of the temple. The pa'ssing 
between the diAaded parts of a calf, Jer. 
84 : 18, 19_, has reference to an ancient mode 
Of ratifying a covenaut, Cowp, Q^u* 15 ; 



CALNEH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



CANAAN 



10, 17. The " calves of our lips," Hos. 14 : 2, 
reads in the R. V., "So will we render as 
bullocks, the offerings of our lips," that is, 
we will offer praise, as animals are offered 
in sacrifice. Heb. 13 : 15. See Lamb. 

Calneh {Ml' neh), fortified dwelling, or fort 
of the god Ana, or Ann. One of the orig- 
inal cities of Nimrod's empire, Gen. 10 : 10 ; 
Amos 6 : 2, apparently the same with Calno, 
Isa. 10 : 9, and Canneh, Ezek. 27 : 23. It is 
probably the modern Niffer, about 60 miles 
south-southeast of Babylon, on the eastern 
bank of the Euphrates. 

Calvary. This word occurs but once in 
the New Testament, Luke 23 : 33, A. V., to 
indicate the place of our Lord's execution. 
It is the adoption into Enghsh of the Latin 
word for " skull," answering to the Greek 
kranion, which is itself the translation of 
the Hebrew Golgotha. The R. V. reads, 
"the place which is called the skull." 
Some suppose it to be so named from the 
fact that, executions being performed there, 
skulls were found there. It is more 
probable that it was a bare round spot, 
in shape something hke a skull; hence, 
perhaps, the notion that it was a hill. 
There is no topographical question more 
keenly disputed than whether the spot now 
venerated as the site of the holy sepulchre 
is really the ancient Golgotha or Calvary : 
the latest explorations do not support the 
tradition, but point to a site outside the 
walls of Jerusalem, near the so-called 
Grotto of Jeremiah. 

Camel. Gen. 12 : 16. There are two spe- 
cies : the Bactrian and the Arabian camel. 
The latter was used by the Israehtes, and 
is the one commonly referred to in Scrip- 
ture. It was used both for riding and for 
carrying loads, as at present. Gen. 24 : 64 ; 
2 Kings 8 : 9. Camel's furniture is men- 
tioned. Gen. 31 : 34, perhaps a kind of Utter 
or canopied seat ; and it is not improbable 
that the panniers or baskets, which are sus- 
pended on both sides of the animal, were 
employed anciently as now. The drome- 
dary, Isa. 60 : 6, was the same species, but 
of a finer breed. The camel is ill-tempered, 
vindictive, and obstinate ; but its value to 
man may be estimated by what has been 
said. The ordinary strong working animal 
will go 24 miles a day, while the higher- 
bred and better-trained, or dromedary, will, 
it is said, travel 200 miles in 24 hours. This 
quadruped was forbidden as food to the 
Hebrews, Lev. 11 : 4 ; Deut. 14 : 7 ; the flesh, 
however, especially the hump, is now 
Uked by the Arabs ; the milk is considered 
a cooling, nutritious drink, and the dung 
is much used for fuel. The camel was well 
known in early ages. Gen. 12 : 16 ; 24 : 64 ; 
37 : 25. It was used in war, at least by pred- 
atory bands, Judg. 6:5; 1 Sam. 30 : 17 ; 
and coarse garments were made of its hair. 
Matt. 3:4; Mark 1 : 6. The word occurs in 
various proverbial expressions, as in Matt. 
19 : 24 ; similar to which are some used in 
the Talmud : also in 23 : 24, where the early 
English versions and the R. V. have very 
properly "strain out." 

Camp and Encamp. Ex. 14:19. 

The order iu whicli the Israelites camped 



in the wilderness was specially pre- 
scribed by divine command. The taber- 
nacle was placed in the centre ; and round 
it were the tents of the house of Levi, in 
four divisions ; Moses and Aaron, with the 
priests, on the east side, the Gershonites 
westward. Num. 3, the Kohathites south- 
ward, and the Merarites northward. The 
great host, also in four divisions, encircled 
these. Three tribes lay to the east, Judah 
the chief, and Issachar and Zebulun. Num. 
2 : 2-9. On the south were three other 
tribes — Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. The 
tribes of Joseph's house lay to the west 
— Ephraini, Manasseh, and Benjamin. 
And on the north side was the camp of 
Dan, in the order of Dan, Asher, and Naph- 
tah. We read of gates to the camp, Ex. 
32 : 26, 27 ; the dead were buried outside 
these. Num. 10 : 4, 5 ; also lepers, and vari- 
ous unclean persons, and captives, at least 
for a while, were to be there. Lev. 13 : 46 ; 
14 : 3 ; Num. 5:1-4; 12 : 14, 15 ; 31 : 19, 24 ; 
Josh. 6 : 23. The skins, etc., of victims were 
burnt there, and ashes poured out and un- 
cleanness removed thither, and criminals 
executed there. Lev. 4 : 11, 12 ; 6 : 11 ; 8 : 
17 ; 24 : 14 ; Num. 15 : 35, 36 ; Deut. 23 : 10- 
12. 

Cana of Galilee (kd'nah). A town no- 
ted as the scene of Christ's first miracle, 
John 2 : 1-11, and of another miracle, 4 : 46- 
54, and as the home of Nathanael. 21 : 2. 
Tradition places it at Kefr-Kenna, about 
four EngUsh miles northeast of Nazareth, 
and the traveller is now shown an earthen 
jar, which is claimed to be one of the water- 
jars used at the wedding. Robinson and 
others, with less probabihty, identify Cana 
with Kana-el-Jelil, about nine miles north 
of Nazareth. It has a fine situation, and 
the ruins indicate the existence in former 
times of a considerable village. 

Cauaan, low region, merchant, servant? 
The fourth son of Ham. Gen. 9 : 18 ; 1 Chron. 
1:8. On occasion of his irreverent con- 
duct, a prophetic curse was denounced by 
Noah on Ham's posterity through Canaan. 
Gen. 9 : 25-27. We know not how far this 
took effect on Canaan personally : it had 
its fulfillment in his descendants, only be- 
cause it was deserved and drawn down 
upon them by their sins. Canaan was the 
father of the nations who peopled Pales- 
tine, west of the Jordan, Gen. 10 : 6, 15-18 ; 
1 Chron. 1:13-16. 

Canaan, land of (kd'nan or kd'na-an). 
Gen. 12 : 5. The country inhabited by the 
posterity of Canaan (a son of Ham and 
grandson of Noah), who were hence called 
Canaanites. God promised this land to the 
children of Israel, the posterit;y of Abraham, 
as their possession. Ex. 6:4; Lev. 25 : 38. 
The boundaries of Canaan were Mount 
Lebanon on the north, the wilderness of 
Arabia on the south, and the Arabian des- 
ert on the east. On the west their posses- 
sions extended at some points to the mar- 
gin of the Mediterranean. Their boundaries 
on this side were partially restricted by the 
Philistines, who held the low lands and 
strong cities along the shore. Gen. 10 : 19. 
Besides the possessions of the Israelites, the 

5i 



CANDACE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



CAPTAIN 



land of Canaan embraced Phoenicia on the 
north and Philistia on the southwest. Zeph. 
2 : 5. The land of Canaan was called the 
land of Israel, 1 Sam. 13 : 19, because it was 
occupied by the descendants of Jacob or 
Israel ; the holy land, Zech. 2 : 12 ; the land 
of promise, Heb. 11 : 9, because it was prom- 
ised to Abraham and his posterity as their 
possession; the land of Judah, Jer.39:10, 
because Judah was the leading tribe ; the 
land of the Hebrews, Gen. 40 : 15, or the 
descendants of Eber, an ancestor of Abra- 
ham. The modern name of Palestine, or 
the land of the Philistines, was originally 
applied to the region lying along the coast 
of the Mediterranean, southwest of the Land 
of Promise, but in its present usage de- 
notes the whole country bounded by the 
Jordan on the east, the Mediterranean on the 
west, Arabia on the south, and Lebanon on 
the north. Previous to its conquest by 
Joshua, Canaan was peopled by several 
tribes, as Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Gir- 
gasites, Hi-\ites, Perizzites, and four others, 
aU early known as Canaanites. Gen. 10 : 1&- 
19. Later, "Canaanites" appears to desig- 
nate a separate tribe, and the land was in- 
habited by them and six other tribes. 
Canaan was the countrj- for which Terah 
started, Gen. 11 : 31 ; Abram dwelt in it ; it 
was promised to him for a possession. Gen. 
12 : 5, 8, etc. ; Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs 
made their home there. Gen. 26-35. It 
w^as left by Jacob because of the famine ; 
searched by the twelve spies, Num. 13 : 2 ; 
viewed by Moses, Deut. 32 : 49 ; conquered 
by Joshua, Josh. 11 : 23 ; divided by lot 
among the tw^elve tribes. Josh. 13 : 7 ; a king 
of the country was slain by Deborah and 
Barak, Judg. 4 : 24. In the temple at Kar- 
nak, in Egj-pt, a triple hst of 118 or 119 
towns of Canaan has lately been discovered, 
which is believed to be a record of an 
Egyptian conquest of the land by Thothmes 
III. previous to that by Joshua. It is the 
oldest known record bf Canaanite cities 
before the time of Joshua. For later history 
see Palestine. 

Candace {kCin'da-se or kan-dd'se, Eng., 
kan'dds), sovereign of slaves f The name is 
a title of Ethiopian queens. Acts 8 : 27. 
Her chamberlain or treasurer, a eunuch, 
was met by Philip the evangelist on the 
road between Jerusalem and Gaza, and 
converted. Her kingdom was Upper Nubia. 

Candlestick. In the tabernacle the 
golden ' ' candlestick ' ' — or lamp - stand- 
stood on the left hand as one entered the 
Holy Place, opposite the table of shew- 
bread. It consisted of a pedestal ; an up- 
right shaft ; six arms, three on one side, 
and three on the opposite side of the shaft ; 
and seven lamps surmounting the shaft and 
arms. The arms were adorned with three 
kinds of carved ornaments, called cups, 
globes and blossoms. Its lamps were sup- 
phed with pure olive oil, and hghted everv 
evening. Ex. 25 : 31-40 ; 30 : 7, 8 ; 37 : 17-24'; 
Lev. 24 : 1-3 ; 1 Sam. 3 : 3 ; 2 Chron. 13 : 11. 
In the first temple there were ten candela- 
bra of pure gold, half of them standing 
on the north, and half on the south side, 
within the Holy Place, 1 Kings 7 : 49, 50 ; 

52 



2 Chron. 4:7; Jer. 52 : 19. In the second 
temple there was but one, resembUng that 
of the tabernacle. Tliis was earned to 
Rome, on the destruction of Jei-usalem, 
and copied on the triumphal arch of Titus, 
where its mutilated image is yet to be seen. 

Cankerworm. Joel 1:4; 2 : 25 ; Nah. 

3 : 15, 16. The same original word is ren- 
dered " caterpillar " in Ps. 105 : 34 ; Jer. 51 : 
14, 27. But the Revised Version reads 
cankerworm in all these passages. It may 
perhaps designate the locust when it is in 
its lar^'a state. See Locust. 

Canticles, song. A name for Song of Sol. 

Capernaum {ka-per'na-um), tillage of 
Nahum. A city on the western shore of 
the Sea of Gahlee, Matt. 4 : 13 ; comp. John 
6 : 24, but not named in the Old Testament. 
It was in the " land of Gennesaret." Matt. 
14 : 84 ; comp. John 6 : 17, 21, 24. It was of 
sufficient size to be called a " city," Matt. 
9:1; Mark 1 : 33 : had its own synagogue, in 
which our Lord frequently taught, Mark 
1 : 21 ; Luke 4 : 33, 38 ; John 6 : 69 ; and it 
had also a station where the taxes or cus- 
toms were gathered both by stationarj^ and 
by itinerant officer's. I^Iatt. 9:9; 17 : 24 ; 
Mark 2 : 14 ; Luke 5 : 27. Capernaum is- of 
interest as the residence of our Lord and 
his apostles, the scene of many miracles and 
teachings. The spots which lay claim to 
its site are : 1. Khan Minieh, a 'mound of 
ruins which takes its name from an old 
khan hard by. This mound is situated 
close upon the'seashore at the northwestern 
extremity of the plain fnow El Ghuweir). 
2. Three miles north oi Khan Minieh is 
Tell Htim, where are ruins of walls and 
foundations covering a space of half a mile 
long by a quarter wide, on a point of the 
shore p'rojecting into the lake and backed 
by a very gently rising ground. It is im- 
possible to locate Capernaum with cer- 
tainty, but the probability is in favor of 
Tell Hum. It was joined with Chorazin 
and Bethsaida, in the fearful prediction of 
our Lord, the ruin of the cities giving a 
striking fulfillment of it. See Matt. 11: 
21-23. 

Caphtor. Deut. 2 : 23. See Crete. 

Cappadocia (kdp'pa-do'sM-ah. The larg- 
est and most easterly province of Asia 
Minor. It was high table-land, intersected 
by ranges of mountains, sparsely wooded, 
but good for grain or grazing. Cappadocia 
was conquered by Cyrus, ruled by Alex- 
ander the Great, tributary to the Sereucidse, 
and became a Roman province, a. d. 17. 
Some of its people were in Jerusalem on 
the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 : 9, and after- 
ward Christians of the province were ad- 
dressed by Peter. 1 Pet. 1 : 1. 

Captain. In the Old Testament the 
rendering of a Hebrew word generally sig- 
nifying a mintary officer. There were 
various ranks, from the captains of 50 to 
the captain of the host (or commander-in- 
chief). 1 Sam. 17 : 18 ; 2 Sam. 19 : 18 ; 2 Kings 
1:9; 11 : 15. Captains of the guard are also 
mentioned. Gen. 87 : 36 ; 2 Kings 25 : 8. 
These were mihtary officers, charged, it 
would seem, with the defence of the royal 
person, and with the execution of sentences 



CAPTIVITY 



OF THE BIBLE. 



CARMEL 



pronounced by the king : comp. 1 Kings 2 : 
29-34, 46. The oflacer in the New Testa- 
ment, called a captain in Acts 28 : 16, was 
probably the commander of the praetorian 
troops at Rome, but the R. V. omits the clause 
containing the word. There is another 
Hebrew word translated sometimes "cap- 
tain," Josh. 10 : 24, A. V. (" chiefs" in the 
R.V.), sometimes " ruler," Isa. 3 : 6,which de- 
notes both a miUtary and a civil officer. The 
captain of the temple, Luke 22 : 4 ; Acts 4:1; 
5 : 24, was not a military man, but the chief 
of the priests and Levites that watched in 
the temple at night. Comp. Ps. 134 : 1, The 
word "captain" apphed to our Lord, Heb. 
2 : 10, has not a miUtary signification. 

Captivity. A word used to designate 
the subjugation of God's people. God often 
punished the sins of the Jews by captivities 
or servitudes. Deut. 28. Their first captiv- 
ity or bondage from which Moses dehvered 
them was rather a permission of Provi- 
dence than a punishment for sin. There 
were six subjugations of the 12 tribes dur- 
ing the period of the Judges. But the most 
remarkable captivities, or rather expatria- 
tions of the Hebrews, were those of Israel 
and Judah under their kings. Israel was 
first carried away in part about 740 b. c. by 
Tiglath-pileser. 2 Kings 15 : 29. The tribes 
east of the Jordan, with parts of Zebulun 
and NaphtaU, 1 Chron. 5 : 26 ; Isa. 9 : 1, were 
the first sufferers. Twenty years later, Shal- 
maneser carried away the rest of Israel, the 
northern kingdom, 2 Kings 17 : 6, and lo- 
cated them in distant cities, many of them 
probably not far from the Caspian Sea ; and 
their place was supplied by colonies from 
Babylon and Pei-sia. 2 Kings 17 : 6-24. This 
is sometimes known as the Assyrian cap- 
tivity. Aside from certain prophecies, Isa. 
11 : 12, 13 ; Jer. 31 : 7-9, 16-20 ; 49 : 2 ; Ezek. 
37 : 16 ; Hos. 11 : 11 ; Amos 9 : 14 ; Ob. 18 : 
19, etc., which are variously interpreted to 
mean a past or a future return, a physical 
or a spiritual restoration, there is no evi- 
dence that the ten tribes as a body ever 
returned to Palestine. Of Judah are gen- 
erally reckoned three deportations, occur- 
ring during the Babylonian or great cap- 
tivity : 1. Under Jehoiakim., in his third 
year, b. c. 606, when Daniel and others were 
carried to Babylon. 2 Kings 24 : 1, 2 ; Dan. 
1:1. 2. In the last year of Jehoiakim, 
when Nebuchadnezzar carried 3023 Jews to 
Babylon ; or rather, under Jehoiachin, when 
this prince also was sent to Babylon, in the 
reign of Nebuchadnezzar, b. c. 598. 2 Kings 
24 : 12 ; 2 Chron 36 : 6-8, 10 ; Jer. 52 : 28. 3. 
Under Zedekiah, b. c. 588, when Jerusalem 
and the temple were destroyed, and all the 
better class of the people and their treas- 
ures were carried to Babylon. 2 Kings 25 ; 2 
Chron. 36. This was 132 years after the 
final captivity of Israel. The 70 years dur- 
ing which they were to remain in captivity, 
Jer. 25 : 11 ; 29 : 10, are reckoned from the 
date of the first captivity, b. c. 606. Besides 
these, several other invasions and partial 
captivities are alluded to in 2 Kings 15 : 19 ; 
17 : 3-6 ; 18 : 13 ; 25 : 11. While in Baby- 
lonia, the Jews were treated more hke 
colonists than slaves. They had judges and 

4 



elders who governed them, and decided 
matters in dispute. The books of Nehemiah 
and Daniel describe Jews in high positions 
at court, and the book of Esther celebrates 
their numbers and power in the Persian 
empire. There were priests among them, 
Jer. 29 : 1, and they preserved their genea- 
logical records and many of their religious 
rites and customs. When the 70 years were 
fulfilled, Cyrus, in the first year of his 
reign at Babylon, b. c. 536, made a proclama- 
tion permitting the people of God to return 
to their own country and rebuild the tem- 
ple. Ezra 1 : 11. Nearly 50,000 accepted the 
invitation, though a large proportion pre- 
ferred to remain. Ezra 2:2; Neh. 7 : 7. This 
company laid the foundation of the second 
temple, which was completed in the sixth 
year of Darius. Fifty-eight years after, 
Ezra led a small company of 7000 from 
Babylon to Judsea. He was succeeded as 
governor by Nehemiah, who labored faith- 
fully and successfully to reform the people. 
The Jewish character and language were 
changed by their sojourn for so long a time 
among foreigners, Neh. 8:8; and it is note- 
worthy that we hear httle of idols or idola- 
try among them after the captivity. About 
40 years after the crucifixion of Christ, 
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. 
According to Josephus, 1,100,000 perished 
at the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, and 
nearly 100,000 captives were scattered 
among the provinces and slain in gladia- 
torial shows, doomed to toil as pubhc slaves, 
or sold into private bondage. Under the 
emperor Hadrian, a. d. 133, a similar crush- 
ing blow fell on the Jews who had again 
assembled in Judsea. They are scattered 
over the world, sufifering under the woe 
which unbelief brought upon their fathers 
and themselves. See Jews. 

Carbuncle. One of the gems in the 
high priest's breast-plate, Ex. 28 : 17 ; 39 : 10 ; 
it is also mentioned in Ezek. 28:13. It 
must, from the derivation of the Hebrew 
word, have been a bright flashing gem. 
Some have supposed it the emerald. Car- 
buncle occurs again as the rendering of 
another term in Isa. 54 : 12. The original 
words here may mean " sparkling stones ; " 
perhaps the Oriental garnet is intended. 

Carchemisli, or Charcliemish {kdr- 
ke'mlsh), citadel of Chemosh. A chief city of 
northern Syria, on the Euphrates, where a 
great and decisive battle was fought, in 
which Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh- 
necho, 2 Chron. 35 : 20 ; 2 Kings 23 : 29 ; Jer. 
46 : 2, in B. c. 605. 

Carmel {kdr'mel), fruitful place or park. 
1. A long mountain which forms a striking 
feature of Palestine. It is a noble ridge, 
the only headland of lower and central 
Palestine, jutting out with a bold bluff 
or promontory, nearly 600 feet high, al- 
most into the Mediterranean. It extends 
southeast for a little more than twelve 
miles, where it terminates suddenly in a 
bluflf somewhat corresponding to its west- 
ern end. That which has made Carmel 
most familiar to us is its intimate connec- 
tion with the history of the two great proph- 
ets of Israel— EUjah and EUsha. 2 Kings 

63 



CAERIAGES 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



CEPHAS 



2:25; 4:25; 1 Kings 18:20-42. It is now 
commonly called Mar Elyas; Kurmel be- 
ing occasionally, but only seldom, beard. 
2. A town in tbe mountainous country of 
Judab, Josb. 15 : 55, famibar to us as tbe 
residence of Nabal. 1 Sam. 25 : 2-5, 7, 40. 

Carriages. Acts 21 : 15, A. V., but tbe 
R. V. reads "baggage " bere and in Isa. 10 : 
28 ; 1 Sam. 17 : 22. Tbe load or burden of 
man or beast ; baggage, Isa. 10 : 28 ; or mat 
on wbicb anytbing is carried, 1 Sam. 17 : 
22. In Isa. 46 :1, " carriages," A. V., is ren- 
dered " tbings tbat ye carried about " in R. 
V. "Tbeytook up tbeir carriages," i. e., 
tbey packed up tbeir tbings and com- 
menced tbeir journev. Acts 21 : 15. See 
R. V. 

Cassia. Ex. 30 :24. Tbe bark of a tree 
like tbe cinnamon, and one of tbe ingre- 
dients of tbe boly anointing oil. It was 
brougbt from India by tbe Tyrians. Tbe 
Hebrew refers, in Ps. 45 : 8, to anotber kind 
of spice, remarkable for its fragrance, but 
not yet identified. 

Castor {k&s'tor), and Pollux {pdl'lux). 
Acts 28 : 11, A. V. ; R. V. reads " Tbe Twin 
Brotbers." In beatben mytbology, "Cas- 
tor" and "Pollux" were tbe name's of twin 
sons of Jupiter, wbo presided over tbe des- 
tinies of sailors. Hence an image repre- 
senting tbem was often seen on tbe prow 
of ancient sbips, bke tbe figure-beads of 
raodern days. In tbe case of Paul's sbip, 
tbe name was Castor and Pollux. 

Caterpillar {the consumer). Probably 
anotber word for locusts in tbeir Immature 
or wingless state, appearing in vast num- 
bers and of most destructive voracity. 1 
Kings 8 : 37. 

Caul. Lev. 3 :4, 10; 5 :4,9. A lobe of 
tbe bver. In Hos. 13 : 8, tbe membrane in- 
closing tbe beart. In Isa. 3 : 18, network 
for tbe bair. 

Cedar. Several cone-bearing, evergreen 
trees appear to be included under tbis title. 
But ordinarily, tbe cedar of Lebanon (tbe 
still famous tree of tbat name, Cedrus Li- 
bani) is meant. Tbe Scriptures give its 
cbaracteristics. Comp. Ps. 92 : 12 ; Ezek. 31 : 
3-6 ; 1 Kings 7:2; 10 : 27 : Song of Sol. 4 : 11 ; 
Hos. 14 :6 ; Isa. 2 : 13 ; 10 : 19. It grows to 
tbe beigbt of 70 or 80 feet. Tbe brancbes 
are ttdck and long, spreading out almost 
horizontally from tbe trunk, wbicb is some- 
times 30 or 40 feet in circumference. Ezek. 
31 : 3, 6, 8. Maundrell measured one wbicb 
was 36 feet and 6 incbes in tbe girtb, and 
111 feet in tbe spread of its bougbs. Tbe 
wood is of a red color and bitter taste, 
wbicb is offensive to insects, and bence it 
is very durable and admirably adapted for 
building. Cedar was used for tbe most no- 
ble and costly edifices, as tbe palace of 
Persepobs, tbe' palace of Solomon, and tbe 
temple at Jerusalem. Tbis timber served 
not only for beams for tbe frame and boards 
for covering buildings, but was also wrougbt 
into tbe walls. 2 Sam. 7:2; 1 Kings 6 : 36, 
and 7 : 12. Tbe gum wbicb exudes from 
tbe trunk and tbe cones is as soft and fra- 
grant as tbe balsam of Mecca. Tbis tree, 
there is reason to believe, once quite cov- 
ered the mountains of Lebanon between 

54 



tbe heights of 3000 and 7000 feet. Rev. H. 
H. Jessup has visited and described eleven 
disttnct groves of cedars on those moun- 
tains, including, altogether, several thou- 
sand trees. Tbe wood of the cedar is no- 
table for toughness, durabiUty, and adapt- 
edness to tbe climate and circumstances 
of Syria. There is no such thing as a rot- 
ten cedar. The name of Lamartlne, carved 
on one of tbe giant trees 109 years ago, is 
fresh and legible to-day. All other woods 
indigenous to Syria are' liable to tbe attacks 
of insects or a kind of dry rot. Cedar beams 
are unchangeable. The cedar is a desirable 
wood for carvdng. Isa. 44 : 14. It is bard, 
fragrant, takes a high pobsh, which devel- 
ops a beautiful grain, and it grows darker 
and richer by time. 

Cedi-on. 'John 18 : 1. See Kidron. 

Cenchrea (sen'kre-ah, accurately Cen- 
chreae, as it is spelt in tbe R. V.). The 
eastern harbor of Corinth, on the Saronic 
Gulf, and tbe emporium of its trade with 
tbe Asiatic shores of tbe Mediterranean, 
about nine miles east of tbat city ; the west- 
ern harbor was Lechseum. A church was 
formed at Cenchrea, of wbicb Phebe was a 
deaconess. Rom. 16 : 1. Paul sailed from 
thence to Ephesus. Acts 18 : 18. Tbe town 
was full of idolatrous monuments and 
shrines. It is now called Kikries. 

Censer. There are two Hebrew words 
so translated, mabhtah and miktereth ; the 
latter occurring onlv in tbe later books. 2 
Chron. 26 : 19 ; Ezek. 8 : 11., It was a vessel 
or metal fire-pan to take up coals on which 
the incense could be placed. It was port- 
able, and probably had a long handle. 
Censers are described among tbe furniture 
of tbe altar — ^the brazen altar, not the altar 
of incense, Num. 4 : 14 ; and a special charge 
is given for tbe use of the censer on tbe 
day of atonement. Lev. 16 : 12. Probably 
those of the ordinary kind were of brass or 
copper, comp. Ex. 27 : 3 ; but tbe Jews sup- 
pose that tbe one used by tbe high priest 
was of gold ; and this supposition is to a cer- 
tain extent corroborated by the fact tbat 
Aaron is bidden to use some' particular cen- 
ser—the definite article being prefixed to 
the word. Lev. 16 : 12 ; Num. 16 : 46. Korah 
and his company bad censers. Num. 16 : 6, 
17, 37, 38, 39 ; but tbey were doubtless of 
the common sort. Solomon made golden 
censers. 1 Kings 7 : 50 ; 2 Chron. 4 : 22. A 
golden censer is mentioned in the New 
Testament. Heb. 9:4. It is questioned, 
however, whether tbe golden altar is not 
rather meant. Tbe R. V. frequently reads 
" fire-pans " for censers. Tbe Greek word 
rendered " censer" in Rev. 8 : 3, 5, is derived 
from frankincense, implying that frankin- 
cense was burnt therein. ' The " vials," 5 : 8, 
have been thought to mean similar vessels. 

Centurion. The commander of a cen- 
tury or militarj'' companj^, of which there 
were 60 in a Roman legion. At first there 
were, as the name implies, 100 men in each 
century ; subsequently tbe number varied 
according to the strength of the legion. 
jSIatt. 8 : 5 ; 27 : 54 ; Acts 10 : 1 ; 22 : 25 ; 23 : 23 ; 
27 :L 

Cephas (se'fas), rock. A Syriac surname 



CHALCEDONY 



OF THE BIBLE. 



CHAPITER 



tiven to Simon, which in the Greek is ren- 
ered Petros, and in the Latin Petrus, both 
signifying "a rock." John 1:42. See 
Peter. 

Chalcedony. One of the stones de- 
scribed as forming the foundation of the 
new Jerusalem. Hev. 21 : 19. Chalcedony 
is ordinarily understood to be a species of 
agate, milky white or pale yellow, often 
with a wavy internal structure. Some 
liken it in color and want of transparency 
to skimmed milk. Another description rep- 
resents it as of the color of a pale flame, 
shining out of doors, obscure m a house, 
not easily cut, and attributes to it the power 
of attracting hght substances. Also it has 
been supposed to be turquoise, carbuncle, 
or ruby, or an inferior kind of emerald. 

Chaldsea {kal-de'ah). An ancient country 
on both sides of the river Euphrates, and 
bordering on the Persian Gulf. It had an 
estimated area of 23,000 square miles. In 
later times it included a territory about 450 
miles long by 100 to 130 miles wide. It oc- 
cupied the southern portion of the great 
Mesopotamian plain, the most fertile part of 
that country. It was divided into Northern 
and Southern Chaldsea, each having four 
important cities. In later times the " land 
of the Chaldaeans " was apphed to all Baby- 
lonia, and to the whole of the empire over 
which the Chaldaeans ruled. The chief 
features of the country were the rivers, for 
on all sides it is a dead level, broken now 
only by solitary mounds, old ruins, marshes, 
and streams. The summers are hot, the 
winters rainy, and seldom colder than 30° 
F. Wheat, millet, barley, dates and fruits 
of all kinds were abundant. Its fertility 
and productions were proverbial in ancient 
times. Chaldsea is noticed in Scripture as 
the native country of Abram, Gen. 11 : 31 ; 
its people attacked Job, Job 1 : 17, and it 
was the term by which the empire of 
Nebuchadnezzar was sometimes called. 
Originally it was the district in the south of 
the " land of Shinar" where Nimrod built 
four cities. Gen. 10 : 10. Among the four 
great kingdoms or empires on the Euphra- 
tes, secular historians usually place the 
Chaldaean as the first in order or earhest, 
lasting for about ten centuries, from b. c. 
2300 to about b. c. 1300 ; the Assyrian empire 
next, lasting about six and a half centuries, 
from B, c. 1270 to B. c. 625 ; the Babylonian 
empire third in order, continuing from 
about B. c. 625 to B. c. 538 ; and the Medo- 
Persian fourth. After its subjugation, in 
B. c. 1300, Chaldaea held an insignificant 
place in history for over six centuries, 
but recovered in b. c. 625, and estabhshed 
a new kingdom, known as the Babylonian 
empire. For the later history see Babylon, 
Assyria, and Nineveh. 

Chalkstones. Isa. 27 : 9. A soft mineral 
substance resembhng what we call hme- 
stone. To make the stones of the Jewish 
altars like chalkstones is to crumble and 
destroy them. 

Chamber. Gen. 43:30. Usually, the 
private apartments of a house are called 
chambers. 2 Sam. 18:33; Ps. 19:5; Dan. 
6:10. Particular rooms of this (jlass in 



Eastern houses were designated by signifi- 
cant terms. 

Guest-chamber. Mark 14 : 14. This we 
may suppose to have been a spacious un- 
occupied room, usually in the upper part 
of the house, and furnished suitably for the 
reception and entertainment of guests and 
for social meetings. The proverbial hospi- 
taUty of the Jews would make such pro- 
vision necessary, and especially at Jerusa- 
lem, in festival seasons, when every house 
in the city was the stranger's home. Mark 
14 : 15 ; Luke 22 : 12 ; Acts 1 : 13. 

Inner Chamber. 2 Kings 9:2. A cham- 
ber within another chamber. 

Little Chamber. 2 Kings 4:10. An 
apartment built upon and projecting from 
the walls of the main house, and communi- 
cating by a private door with the house, and 
by a private stairway with the street. 

Upper Chamber, or Loft, Acts 9 : 37, oc- 
cupied the front part of the building, over 
the gate or outer entrance, and was used to 
lodge strangers. Comp. 1 Kings 17 : 19 and 
23 with 2 Kings 4 : 10. 

Chamberlain. 2 Kings 23 : 11. An of- 
ficer who had charge of the royal chambers, 
or the king's lodgings, wardrobes, etc. Esth, 
1 : 10, 12, 15 A. V. The R. V. reads " cham- 
berlains," but has "or eunuchs" in the 
margin. The word occurs twice in A. V. of 
N. T., but entirely different offices are 
meant in the Greek. Blastus, "the king's 
chamberlain," mentioned in Acts 12 : 20, 
" held a post of honor which involved great 
intimacy and influence with the king." 
Erastus, " the chamberlain of the city of 
Corinth," Rom. 16 : 23, was the treasurer of 
the city ; the R. V. reads " treasurer." 

Chameleon. Lev. 11:30. A kind of 
lizard, of singular habits and appearance. 
Its body is about six inches long; its 
feet have five toes each, arranged Uke 
two thumbs opposite to three fingers ; its 
eyes turn backwards or forwards inde- 
pendently of each other. It feeds upon 
flies, which it catches by darting out its 
long, viscous tongue. It has the faculty of 
inflating itself at pleasure with air, and 
thus changing its color from its ordinary 
gray to green, purple, and even black when 
enraged. The eyes project out of the head, 
and can be moved in any direction, and 
each eye can be moved independently of 
the other, so that the animal can see ahead 
with one eye, and at the same instant see 
behind with the other eye. 

Chamois (sham'my), Deut. 14 : 5. A 
species of wild sheep. 

Chapiter. There are three Hebrew 
words translated " chapiter," the first signi- 
fying something which surrounds; the 
second an ornament ; the third'is the ordi- 
nary word for head or top. It is the upper 
part of a pillar, answering to what is now 
called the capital, or a kind of moulding 
round the top of a column or utensil, prob- 
ably carved into the representation of 
flowers or fruits. Ex. 36 : 38 ; 38 : 17, 19, 28 ; 
1 Kings 7 : 16-20 ; 2 Kings 25 : 17 ; 2 Chron. 
3:15; 4:12, 13. The "pommels" of the 
chapiters were convex projections or mould- 
ings, 

55 



CHAPMAN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



CHIMHAM 



Cbapman. 2 Chron. 9 : 14. A travelling 
merchant. 

Charger. A shallow vessel for receiving 
water or blood, also for presenting offerings 
of fine flour with oil. Num. 7 : 79. The 
daughter of Herodias brought the head of 
John the Baptist in a charger, Matt. 14 : 11 ; 
probably a trencher or platter. 

Chariots. Scripture speaks of two kinds 
of chariots, two-wheeled, and both drawn 
by horses : one for princes and generals to 
ride in, Gen. 41 : 43 ; 46 : 29 : 2 Kings 5:9; 
Acts 8 : 28 ; or dedicated to idols, 2 Kings 
23 : 11 ; the other " chariots of iron," armed 
with iron scythes or hooks, projecting from 
the ends of the axletrees. The Canaanites 
whom Joshua engaged at the waters of 
Merom had horsemen, and a multitude of 
chariots. Josh. 11 : 4 ; Judg. 1 : 19. Sisera, 
general of Jabin, king of Hazor, had 900 
chariots of iron, Judg. 4:3: and Solomon 
raised 1400, 1 Kings 10 : 26, in spite gf the 
prohibition in Deut. 17 : 16 ; 1 Sam. 8 : 11, 12. 
The later kings also used this form of roiU- 
tary defense. Isa. 31 : 1. Ehjah went up to 
■heaven in a chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2 : 12, 
E,. V. reads "chariots." In Song of Sol. 
8 : 9, chariot seems to mean a portable sedan 
or palanquin, as it is translated in the R. V. 

Chebar (k^bar). A river in Chaldsea, 
Ezek. 1 : 1, 3 ; 3 : 15, etc. ; probably the same 
as Habor, and perhaps the royal canal 
which connected the Tigris with the Eu- 
phrates, 30 miles above Babylon. 

Cheese. The cheese of the East is made 
of cows' milk, though that of sheep and of 
goats and .of camels is sometimes used. 
Instead of rennet, the milk is coagulated 
either with buttermilk or a decoction of 
the flowers of the wild artichoke ; and put- 
ting the curds into small baskets made with 
rushes, or with the dwarf-palm, they bind 
them up close and press them. These 
cheeses are rarely above two or three 
pounds weight ; and are about the size of a 
tea saucer. Oriental cheese when new is 
comparatively soft, but it soon turns hard 
and dry ; and is excessively salt. 1 Sam. 

17 : 18 ; 2 Sam. 17 : 29. 

Chemarim {kim'a-rlm), those who go about 
in black. Occurs once only in the English 
version, Zeph. 1 : 4, but frequently in the 
Hebrew, and is translated "idolatrous 
priests," as in 2 Kings 23:5; Hos. 10:5 
(priests). 

Chemosh (k^mdsh), svhduer. The na- 
tional deity of the Moabites. Num. 21 : 29 ; 
Jer. 48 : 7, 13, 46. In Judg. 11 : 24 he also ap- 
pears as the god of the Ammonites. Solo- 
mon introduced, and Josiah abolished, the 
worship of Chemosh at Jerusalem. 1 Kings 
11 : 7 ; 2 Kings 23 : 13. Also related to Baal- 
peor, Baal-zebub, Mars, and Saturn. 

Chephirah (ke-fl'rah), village. One of 
the Gibeonite towns, Josh. 9 : 17, which was 
afterwards assigned to Benjamin. Josh. 

18 : 26 ; see Ezra 2 : 25 ; Neh. 7 : 29. It is 
identical with the modern Kefir. 

Cherethites {kh-'e-thites), executioners, 
and Pelethites {pSl'e-thltes or pe'leth-^tes), 
couners. The life-guards of Kmg David. 
2 Sam. 8 : 18 ; 15 : 18 ; 20 : 7, 23 ; 1 Kings 1 : 
38, 44 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 17 ; 2 Kings 11 : 4, R. V. 

56 



"Carites." But it has been conjectured 
that they may have been foreign merce- 
naries, and therefore probably Philistines. 

Cherith {kefrith), gorge, The Brook, a 
brook or torrent "before Jordan "where 
the prophet Elijah was hid. 1 Kings 17 : 6. 
Robinson and several others identify it 
with Wady Kelt, a swift, brawling stream, 
20 yards wide and three feet deep, running 
into the Jordan from the west, a little south 
of Jericho. Some identify it with Wady 
Fusail, a little farther north, and yet othere 
think it was some stream on the other, or 
eastern, side of the Jordan, 

Cheruh (plural CherubimV An order 
of celestial beings or symboHcal representa- 
tions quite distinct from angels, and often 
referred to in the Old Testament and in the 
book of Revelation. Angels are often sent 
on messages, but cherubim are not so 
described. The cherubim are variously 
represented as living creatures, Gen. 3 : 24 ; 
Ezek. 1 ; Rev. 4 ; or as images wrought in 
tapestry, gold, or wood, Ex. 36 : 35 ; 37 : 7 ; 
Ezek. 41 : 25 ; as having one, two, or four 
faces, Ex. 25 : 20 ; Ezek. 41 : 18 ; 10 : 14, as 
having two, four, or six wings, 1 Kings 6 : 
27 ; Ezek. 1:6; Rev. 4:8; in the simplest 
form, as in the golden figures above the ark 
of the covenant ; or in the most complex 
and sublime form, as in Ezekiel's wonder- 
ful visions of the glory of God— discerning 
and ruling all things, and executing irre- 
sistibly and with the speed of thought all 
his wise and just decrees. Ezek. 1 : 10. 
The fullest of these descriptions represents 
the cherub as a winged figure, hke a man 
in form, full of eyes, and with a four-fold 
head — of a man, a' lion, an ox, and an eagle, 
with wheels turning every way, and speed 
like the lightning : presenting the highest 
earthly forms and powers of creation in 
harmonious and perfect union. Ezek. 1 ; 
10 ; 41 ; Rev. 4. Usually also the cherubim 
stand in a special nearness to God ; they 
are engaged in the loftiest adoration and 
service, moving in instant accordance with 
his will, Ps. 18 : 10 : Ezek. 1 : 26 ; 10 : 20 ; Rev. 
4 ; they are seen in the temple inseparably 
associated with the mercy -seat, "the cher- 
ubim of glory," Heb. 9 : 5 — made of the same 
mass of pure gold, Ez. 26 : 19, bending rever- 
ently over the place of God's presence, Ps. 
99 : 1, where he met his people. Num. 7 : 89, 
accepting the blood of atonement, Lev. 16 : 
14-16 ; they shone forth as their Saviour. 
Ps. 80 : 1 ; Isa. 37 : 16, 2. A place in Baby- 
lonia. Ezra 2 : 59 ; Neh. 7 : 61. 

Chestnut Tree. Gen. 30 : 37 ; Ezek, 31 : 
8, A. v., but the R. V, reads plane-tree in 
both places. The tree grows to a large size, 
with a mass of rich foliage. The stem is 
lofty, covered with a smooth bark, which 
annually falls off. The flowers are small, 
and come out a little before the leaves. 
This tree is a native of western Asia, but is 
found as far east as Cashmere. 

Chief Priest. See Priest. 

Chimham (ktm'hdm), longing. A fol- 
lower, and prooably a son, of Barzillai the 
Gileadite, who returned from beyond Jor- 
dan with David. 2 Sam, 19 : 37, 38, 40 (b, c. 
1023), David appears to have bestowed on 



CHlNNiERETS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



CHURCH 



him a possession at Bethlehem, on which, 
in later times, an inn or khan was stand- 
ing. Jer. 41 : 17. 

Chinnereth or Chinneroth {kln'ne-rUh 
or kln'ne-rOth), harps. Josh. 11 : 2. A fenced 
city of Naphtali, on the lake, or sea, of the 
same name ; afterward called Gennesar, 
or Gennesaret, and about three miles north- 
west of Tiberias, according to Fuerst. 

Cliios {ki'os). An island of the ^gean 
Sea, five miles from the coast of Ionia, in 
Asia Minor. It is 32 miles long and from 8 
to 18 miles wide, and noted for its wines. 
Paul passed by it. Acts 20 : 14, 15. Its mod- 
ern name is Scio or Khio. 

Cliisleu. Neh. 1 : 1. See Month. 

Chittim or Kittim (kimm). Num. 24 : 
24 ; Isa. 23 : 1, 12 ; Jer. 2 : 10 ; Ezek. 27 : 6 ; 
Dan. 11 : 30. R. V. always reads Kittim. In 
these passages the "Isles," "ships," "prod- 
ucts," and "people "of Kittim are men- 
tioned or alluded to ; hence the name has 
generally been supposed to mean the island 
of Cyprus, though Kitto thinks it a gen- 
eral term appUed to islands and coasts west 
of Palestine. 

Chiun. Amos 5 : 26. An idol. See 
Remphan. 

Chorazin (ko-rd'zin). A city named 
with Capernaum and Bethsaida in the woes 
pronounced by Christ. Matt. 11 : 20-23 ; 
Luke 10 : 13. The identification of Chorazin 
depends largely, though not wholly, upon 
that of Capernaum. Robinson places it at 
Tell Hum, but others, with greater prob- 
abiUty, fix its site at Kerazeh, two and a 
half miles northwest of Tell Hmn, and 
west of the valley of the Jordan. 

Christ. See Jesus. 

Chronicles, hooks of. Among the 
ancient Jews these formed but one book, 
though they are now divided in Hebrew 
Bibles, as well as in our own, into two. 
They were called The Words of Days, i. e., 
Diaries or Journals. The Septuagint trans- 
lators denominated them Paraleipomena, 
Things omitted ; and from Jerome we have 
derived the name "Chronicles." They 
are an abridgment of the whole of the 
sacred history, more especially tracing the 
Hebrew nation from its origin, and detail- 
ing the principal events of the reigns of 
David and Solomon, and of the succeeding 
kings of Judah down to the return from 
Babylon. The writer goes over much the 
same ground as the author of the books 
of Kings, with whose work he was probably 
acquainted. He does not, however, merely 
produce a supplement, but works out his 
narrative independently after his own man- 
ner. The composition of the books is as- 
cribed to Ezra by Jewish and Christian 
tradition, and in language and style they 
resemble the book of Ezra. The date of 
Chronicles cannot be fixed earlier than the 
return from exile ; and as the history ends 
with the decree of Cyrus, that may be as- 
sumed as the time of their composition. 

Chrysolite, golden stone. A precious 
stone of the quartz kind, whose prevaiUng 
color is yellow with a golden lustre. It is 
supposed to be the modern topaz. Rev. 21 : 
20. 



Chrysoprasus, golden green. A precious 
stone probably allied to the beryl, usually 
of a greenish-golden color. Rev. 21 : 20. 
R. v., Chrysoprase. 

Chub {kub), R. V., Cub (kub), a people. 
Probably in north Africa, and of a land 
near Egypt. Ezek. 30 : 5. 

Chun {kun), R. V., Cun (kUn). 1 Chron. 
18 : 8. Same as Berothai. 2 Sam. 8:8. 

Church. The terms which this word 
represents are variously used by the sacred 
writers. Matt. 16 : 18. It may be sufficient 
to notice two uses of the term. In the New 
Testament it isapphed particularly to Chris- 
tians as a body or community. Acts 16 : 5. 
It is also appUed to the people of God in all 
ages of the world, whether Jews or Chris- 
tians, Acts 7 : 38 ; 12 ; 1 ; Eph. 3 : 21 ; 6 : 25 ; 
for although there have been two dispensa- 
tions, viz., that of the law by Moses, and 
that of the gospel by Jesus Christ, yet the 
reUgion of the Bible is one reUgion : 
whether before or after the coming of Christ, 
true behevers are all one in Christ Jesus. 
Gal. 3 : 28. Of this church or company of 
the redeemed, the Lord Jesus Christ is now 
the Head, and the Church is therefore called 
the body, Col. 1 : 18, 24, and comprises the 
redeemed who are gone to heaven, as well 
as those who are, or will be, on the earth. 
Heb. 12 : 23. Particular portions of the 
whole body of Christians are also called the 
church, as the church at Jerusalem, at Co- 
rinth, etc. Acts 8 : 1 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 2 ; 4 : 17. As 
the great work wrought on earth and the 
reigning of Christ in heaven constitute him 
the Founder and Head of the Church, as it 
now exists, he is compared to "the chief 
corner-stone" in the building, Eph. 2:20, 
on whom the whole structure is dependent. 
For this purpose God "hath put all things 
under his feet." Eph. 1 : 22. The figura- 
tive language which is employed by Christ 
himself, as well as by his apostles, to denote 
the nature of his relations to the church 
(as composed of all true believers), and its 
relations to him, is of the most significant 
character. Some of these have been inti- 
mated above ; others are that of husband 
and wife, Eph. 5 : 30-32, a vine and its 
branches, John 15 : 1-6, and a shepherd and 
his flock, John 10 : 11. And it is by many 
supposed that the Song of Solomon is a 
highly figurative and poetical illustration 
of the mutual love of Christ and the peo- 
ple of his church in all ages. In modern 
times the word is applied to various asso- 
ciations of Christians, united by a common 
mode of faith or form of government ; as 
the Episcopal Church, the Baptist Church, 
the Moravian Church, etc. The word church 
is but once (then doubtfully) applied in 
Scriptures to a building. 1 Tim. 3 : 15. The 
visible Israelitish church was divided into 
twelve tribes separated, yet to be united as 
the people of God : having one Scripture, one 
sacrifice, one Jehovah. Christ told his apos- 
tles, " Ye shall sit on twelve thrones, judg- 
ing the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. 19 : 
28. James addresses his epistle, "To the 
twelve tribes which are scattered abroad " 
(" which are of the dispersion," R. V.). Jas. 
1:1. In the progress of thd church " there 



CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM PEOPLE'S DICTIONAltY 



CITIZENSHIP 



were sealed one hundred and forty-four 
thousand of all the tribes of Israel," Rev. 
7 : 4, showing that the visible church will 
continue to be divided into tribes, with one 
Scripture and one Saviour. The world sel- 
dom was in greater darkness than when for 
1260 years it was controlled by one visible 
church, the Church of Rome. And the 
clamor of many to make a united visible 
church by attacking all creeds and confes- 
sions holding the great doctrines of the 
Scriptures, and in their place to adopt the 
assumptions of idolatrous chiirches, will 
never be reahzed. The church had in 
New Testament times, elders, overseers or 
bishops, in each congregation. Matt. 26 : 3 ; 
Acts 14 : 23 ; Titus 1 : 5, 7 ; Acts 20 : 17, 28 ; 1 
Pet. 5 : 1, 3. Compare Ex. 3 : 16 ; 4 : 29. The 
various tribes of the ancient visible church 
were constantly adopting the idolatries of 
the surrounding nations, and were brought 
into subjection by them, and at last were 
scattered and the most of them lost on that 
account. The most of the prophets were 
sent to the church to upbraid them for 
their idolatries and for forsaking God. 
Christ canae to the visible church and was 
rejected. The epistles speak of errors in 
the churches founded by the apostles. And 
as was predicted in the second and third 
chapters of Revelation, the candlestick of 
nearly every one of them has been re- 
moved. 

Chushan-Risliathaim (ku'shan-rish'a- 
thd'im), most wicked Cushite, or otherwise, 
lord of the land of the two rivers. A king of 
Mesopotamia, of whom nothing more is 
known than that he subjugated Israel 
shortly after the time of Joshua. His power 
was broken after eight years by Othniel, 
the son of Kenaz. Judges 3 : 8-11. 

Cilicia {si-Ush'i-ah), the southeasterly 
province of Asia Minor, having Cappadocia 
on the north, Syria on the east, the Med- 
iterranean Sea on the south, and Pamphyha 
and Pisidia (?) on the west. Eastern Cilicia 
was a rich plain ; western Cihcia was rough 
and mountainous, lying on the Taurus 
range. Its capital was Tarsus, and many 
of its people were Jews. It is frequently 
mentioned in the book of Acts. 6:9; 15 : 
23, 41 ; 21 : 39 ; 22 : 3 ; 23 : 34 ; 27 : 5 ; and Gal. 
1 : 21. See Tarsus. 

Circumcision. A Jewish rite which 
Jehovah enjoined upon Abraham, the 
father of the Israelites, as the token of the 
covenant, which assured to him the prom- 
ise of the Messiah. Gen. 17. It was thus 
made a necessary condition of Jewish citi- 
zenship. Every male child Avas to be cir- 
cumcised when eight days old. Lev. 12 : 3, 
on pain of death. The biblical notice of 
the rite describes it as distinctively Jewish ; 
so that in the New Testament " the circum- 
cision " and " the uncircumcision " are fre- 
quently used as synonjTiis for the Jews 
and the Gentiles. The rite has been found 
to prevail extensively in both ancient and 
modem times. Some of the Jews in the 
time of Antiochus Epiphanes, wishing to 
assimilate themselves to the heathen around 
them, "made themselves uncircumcised." 
Against having recourse to this practice, 



from an excessive anti-Judaistic tenden- 
cy, Paul cautioned the Corinthians. 1 Cor. 
7:18. 

Cistern. A vessel to hold water; also 
reservoirs. During nearly half the year no 
rain falls in Palestine, and never-failing 
streams and springs are rare. The chief 
dependence of a large portion of the popu- 
lation was upon the water which fell in the 
rainy season and which they gathered in 
cisterns. Isa. 36 : 16 ; Jer. 2 : 13. The water 
is conducted into them during the rainy 
season, and with proper care remains pure 
and sweet during the whole summer and 
auttunn. When dr>', they might be used 
as a prison. Gen. 37 : 22 ; Jer. 38 : 6 ; the 
" pit " was doubtless a cistern, or a granary, 
as at this day ; and to drink water only 
from one's own domestic cistern means, 
to content one's self with the lawful enjoy- 
ments of his own home. Prov. 5 : 15. 

Cities. The distinction of villages from 
towns, and of towns from cities is not very 
clearly marked in Scripture. The earUest 
notice of city building is of Enoch by Cain, 
in the land of his exile. Gen. 4 : 17. After 
the confusion of tongues the descendants 
of Nimrod founded Babel, Erech, Accad 
and Calneh, in the land of Shinar, and 
Asshur, a branch from the same stock, 
built Nineveh, Rehoboth - by - the - river, 
Calah and Resen, the last being "a great 
city." The earliest description of a city, 
properly so called, is that of Sodom. GeiL 
19 : 1-22. Even before the time of Abraham 
there were cities in Egypt, Gen. 12 : 14, 15 ; 
Num. 13 : 22, and the Israehtes, during their 
sojourn there, w-ere employed in building 
or fortifying the " treasure cities " of Pithom 
and Raamses. Ex. 1 : 11. Fenced cities, 
fortified with high w^alls, Deut. 3 : 5, were 
occupied and perhaps partly rebuilt after 
the conquest, by the settled inhabitants of 
Syria on both sides of the Jordan. 

Cities of Refuge. Were six Levltical 
cities specially chosen for refuge to the in- 
voluntary homicide until released from 
banishment by the death of the high priest. 
Num. 35 : 6, 13, 15 ; Josh. 20 : 2, 7, 9. There 
were three on each side of Jordan. 1. 
Kedesh, in GaUlee, 1 Chron. 6 : 76. 2. 
Shechem, in Ephraim, Josh. 21 : 21 ; 1 Chron. 
6 : 67 ; 2 Chron. 10 : 1. 3. Hebron, in Judah, 
Josh. 21 :13; 2 Sam. 5:5; 1 Chron. 6:55; 
29 : 27 ; 2 Chron. 11 : 10. 4. On the east side 
of Jordan — Bezer, in the tribe of Reuben, 
in the plains of Moab, Deut. 4 : 43 ; Josh. 20 : 
8 ; 21 : 36. 5. Ramoth-gilead, in the tribe 
of Gad, Deut. 4 : 43 ; Josh. 21 : 38 ; 1 Kings 
22 : 3. 6. Golan, in Bashan, in the half- 
tribe of Manasseh, Deut. 4 : 43 ; Josh. 21 : 27 ; 
1 Chron. 6 : 71. 

Citizenship. The Jew had no citizen- 
ship : he belonged to Jehovah. The use of 
this term in Scripture refers to the usages 
of the Roman empire. The privilege of 
Roman citizenship was originally acquired 
in various ways, as by purchase, Acts 22: 
28, by miUtary services, by favor or by man- 
umission. The right once obtained de- 
scended to a man's children. Acts 22 : 28. 
A citizen could not be bound or imprisoned 
without a formal trial, Acts 22 : 29, stiU less 



CLAUDIUS LYSIAS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



COLOSSIANS 



be scourged, Acts 16:37. Another privi- 
lege attaching to citizenship was the appeal 
from a provincial tribunal to the emperor 
at Rome. Acts 25 : 11. 

Claudius L.ysias {klaw'di-us llsh'i-as or 
lls'i-as). A Roman tribune, commanding in 
Jerusalem. His conduct on two occasions, 
in reference to Paul, is creditable to his effi- 
ciency and humanity. Acts 21 : 31^0 ; 22 
and 23. 

Claudius {klaw'di-us). Tiberius Claudius 
Nero Drusus Germanicus, the son of Nero 
Drusus, born at Lyons 9 or 10 b. c. ; became 
fourth Roman emperor on the assassination 
of Caius Caligula, and reigned 41-54 a. d. 
He was a weak and indolent man, and 
was poisoned by his fourth wife, Agrippina. 
Several famines occurred in the reign of 
Claudius, one of which extended to Pales- 
tine and Syria. Acts 11 : 28-30. And there 
was an edict of his which, in consequence 
of a tumult, expelled the Jews from Rome. 
Acts 18 : 2. It is not agreed when this edict 
was issued. It is variously assigned to years 
between 49 and 53 a. d. 

Clean and Unclean. A distinction, most 
probably with reference to sacrifice, was 
made between clean and unclean animals 
before the flood. Gen. 7 : 2, 8 ; 8 : 20. Under 
the Mosaic law the distinction was extended 
to food. Thus in Lev. 11 and Deut. 14 there 
are lists of animals, birds, and fishes, which 
the Hebrews might and might not eat. The 
regulations thus made were doubtless pro- 
motive of health. But, besides, they, as 
well as the purifications prescribed for un- 
cleanness in men. Lev. 11 : 15 ; Num. 19, 
had a symbohcal meaning, which is illus- 
trated in Heb. 9 : 9-14. Eating with Gentiles 
was regarded as a greater offence against 
the traditional law than being in company 
with them, and was one of the charges 
against our Lord. Matt. 9 : 10, 11 ; 11 : 19 ; 
Luke 5 : 30. This view of the law was dis- 
tinctly annulled by the vision to Peter, be- 
fore he preached to Cornelius. Acts 10 : 9- 
16. 

Clothes. Gen. 37 : 29. See Garments. 

Clouted. Josh. 9 : 5. Worn out and 
patched clothes. 

Cnidus (nl'dus). A Greek city at the 
extreme southwestern corner of Asia Minor, 
now in ruins, on Cape Crio. 

Coast. Judg. 11 : 20, 22. " Border " and 
" borders." 

Cockatrice. Isa. 11 : 8 ; 14 : 29 ; 59 : 5, A. 
V. The R. V. reads in all cases " basihsk " 
or "adder," margin. The word, in the 
Scriptures, evidently denotes a very ven- 
omous reptile. The original signifies a 
creature that " hisses," doubtless some spe- 
cies of serpent. Tristram proposes the great 
yellow viper, the largest of its kind found 
in Palestine, and one of the most danger- 
ous. 

Cock-croveing. This word occurs in 
the New Testament to designate the third 
watch in the night, about equidistant from 
midnight and dawn. Matt. 26 : 34 ; Mark 
13 : 35. This watch was called by the Ro- 
mans gallicinium. They divided the night 
into four watches of three hours each, that 
is, from six in the evening to nine ; from 



nine to twelve ; from twelve to three ; and 
from three to six. The last two watches 
were both of them called " cock-cro wings," 
because cocks usually crowed in that space 
of time. We have no evidence in support 
of the Rabbinical opinion that cocks were 
not permitted to be kept in Jerusalem on 
account of the holiness of the place. 

Cockle,, stinking like carrion. This word 
may denote troublesome or oflfensive weeds 
in general. Job 31 : 40. 

Coffer. 1 Sam. 6:8. A box or chest 
hanging from the feide of a cart. 

College. 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chron. 34: 
22, A. v., but the R. V. reads "the second 
quarter," meaning the lower part of the 
city. 

Collops, Fat. Job 15 : 27, Thick pieces. 

Colors. Gen. 37 : 3. The art of coloring 
cloth was brought to great perfection among 
the Jews, and by the Phoenicians and Egyp- 
tians. Four artificial colors are spoken of 
in the Bible: 1. Purple, which was de- 
rived from a shellfish native to the Medi- 
terranean Sea. Purple was the royal and 
noble color, indicative of wealth and sta- 
tion. Judg. 8:26; Esth. 8:15; Luke 16: 
19 ; Rev. 17 : 4. 2. Blue, produced from a 
similar source, used in the same way, and 
for the same purposes. Ex. 25 : 4 ; Esth. 1 : 
6. 3. Scarlet and crimson appear to express 
the same color. 4. Vermihon was used in 
fresco-painting, Ezek. 23:14, for coloring 
the idols themselves, and for decorating the 
walls and beams of houses. Jer. 22 : 14. 
The natural colors noticed in the Bible are 
white, black, red, yellow, and green, yet 
only three colors are sharply defined— white, 
black, and red. To show the vagueness of 
the use of the others, the tint green (trans- 
lated " yellow " in the A. V.), is apphed in 
the Hebrew to gold, Ps. 68 : 13, and to the 
leprous spot. Lev. 13 : 49. 

Colosse, or Colossse (ko-lds'se). A city 
of Phrygia, on the Lycus, a branch of the 
Mseander, and twelve miles above Laodi- 
cea. Paul wrote to the church there. Col. 
1 : 2, and possibly visited it on his third 
missionary journey. See Acts 18 : 23 ; 19 : 
10. The town is now in ruins ; there is a 
httle village called Chronos three miles 
south of the site of Colosse. 

Colossians {ko-ldsh'i-anz, or ko-losh'anz), 
the Epistle to the. Was written by the 
apostle Paul while he was a prisoner at 
Rome, Acts 28 : 16, and apparently, Col. 4 : 
3, 4, before his imprisonment had assumed 
the more severe character which seems 
to be reflected in the epistle to the PhiUp- 
pians, Phil. 1 : 20, 21, 30 ; 2 ; 27, and which 
not improbably succeeded the death of 
Burrus in a. d. 62, and the decline of the 
influence of Seneca. The epistle was ad- 
dressed to the Christians of the city of Co- 
lossse, and was dehvered to them by Tych- 
icus, whom the apostle had sent "both to 
them. Col. 4:7, 8, and to the church of 
Ephesus, Eph. 6 : 21, to inquire into their 
state and to give exhortation and comfort. 
The epistle seems to have been called forth 
by the information Paul had received from 
Epaphras, Col. 4 : 12 ; Phile. 23, and from 
Onesimus, both of whom appear to have 

59 



COMFORTER 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



CORINTH 



been natives of Colossae. The main ob- 
ject of the epistle is to warn the Colos- 
sians against a spirit of semi-Judaism and 
a philosophy which was corrupting the sim- 
phcity of their beUef, and was noticeably 
tending to obscure the glor\- and dignity 
of Christ. The shorter epistle to the Colos- 
sians seems to have been first written, and 
to have suggested the more comprehensive 
epistle to the Ephesians. 

Comforter. The rendering of the Greek 
paracletos, which strictly means "one called 
to another; " hence a "helper." The Greek 
tenn is appUed to Christ: "We have an 
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 
righteous." IJohn 2:1. Usually it desig- 
nates the Holy Spirit. He is the "other 
Comforter," or "Helper," succeeding Christ, 
the great promised blessing of the Christian 
church. John 14 : 16, 17, 26 ; 15 : 26 ; Luke 
24 : 49 ; Acts 1 : 4. The Enghsh word Com- 
forter does not adequately represent the 
Greek word paracletos, nor fully describe 
the oflBce of tne Holy Spirit. The disciples 
found the promise fulfilled to them. The 
Spirit aided them when called before coun- 
cils ; guided them into all truth respecting 
the plan of salvation ; brought to their re- 
membrance the words and deeds of Christ ; 
and revealed to them things to come. His 
presence was accompanied by signal tri- 
tunphs of grace, and made aniends for the 
absence of Christ. He is therefore not only 
a Comforter, but is also a Teacher, Witness, 
Reprover, and Guide. John 14 : 26 ; 15 ; 26 ; 
16:8, 13, 14. He is "another Comforter," 
not in the sense of a different kind of a 
Comforter or Helper, but of an additional 
one. The church is still under the guid- 
ance of the Comforter. The Holy Spirit 
still con^adces the world of sin, of right- 
eousness, and of judgment. 

Compass. 2 Kings 3:9. "To fetch a 
compass" there, Acts 28 : 13, and elsewhere 
means "to go around," or " to make a cir- 
cuit." R. V. 

Concision. A term used sarcastically of 
Judaizers who insisted on circumcision as 
necessary for Gentile Christians. Phil. 3 : 2. 

Concubine. A secondary' wife. The 
practice of having concubines probably 
grew out of a desire for numerous ofi'spring, 
and this also was one support of polygamy : 
when there was a pluralitj' of wives, sonie 
were placed in an inferior grade. Concu- 
bines are mentioned very early in Scripture, 
as in the history of Abraharn, Gen. 16, of 
Nahor, 22 : 24, of Jacob, 30. Sometimes 
wives, as in the cases of Sarah, Rachel and 
Leah, gave their servants to their husbands 
for concubines, in order to obtain children, 
and the children so bom were then reck- 
oned as belonging to the wife whose ser- 
vant the mother was. Keturah is said to 
have been Abraham's wife, Gen. 25 : 1 ; and 
yet, 5, 6, all Abraham's sons save Isaac are 
called the sons of concubines. We must, 
then, conclude that the concubines had a 
recognized position, and that the children 
were legitimate, though more dependent, 
perhaj)s, upon the father's will for any 
share in his inheritance than the sons of 
the actual or chosen wives. The law of 

60 



Moses did not stop the practice of having 
concubines, but modified it. Ex. 21 : 7-9 ; 
Deut. 21 : 10-17. Concubines were often 
servants or captives, Ex. 21 : 7-11 ; Deut 21 : 
10-14; but this was not always the case. 
The Levite's concubine, Judg. 19, was 
neither; and it is observable that her 
father is called the Levite's father-in-law. 
After the establishment of the IsraeUtish 
monarchy, the kings increased the number 
of concubines ; and the right over those of 
one monarch, accrued to his successor ; so 
that to seize on any of them was regarded 
as an overt act of rebelhon. 2 Sam. 3:7; 
12 : 8 ; 1 Kings 2 : 22 ; 11 : 3. The New Tes- 
tament teaching restores marriage to its 
original character, requiring a man to be 
the husband of one wife. Gen. 2 : 24 ; Matt. 

19 : 5 ; 1 Cor. 7 : 2. 

Conduit. 2 Kings 18:17; 20:20; Isa. 
7 : 3 ; 36 : 2. Used to signify some mode for 
conveying water, as a "water course" (R. 
Y. channel), Job 38 : 25, or a "trench." It 
probably included an aqueduct, such as 
must have been used to convey the water 
from the Pool of Solomon to Jerusalem. 

Coney is the Syrian hyrax, a small 
animal, resembhng in size 'and form the 
rabbit, and of a brownish color. It is, how- 
ever, much heavier than the hare or rabbit, 
almost without a tail, and has long bristly 
hairs scattered through the fur. The feet 
are naked below, and the nails flat and 
rounded, except those on the inner toe of 
the hind feet, which are long and awl- 
shaped. The coney cannot dig, but resides 
in the clefts of rocks. It is called by Solo- 
mon " wise," and " a feeble folk ; " is quiet 
and gregarious in habit, and so timid that 
it starts at the shadow of a passing bird. It 
is described as chewing its cud. Lev. 11 : 5 ; 
Deut. 14 : 7 ; for it has a peculiar movement 
of the jaw as if chewing. It is a very 
nimble, active animal. 

Conversation. Phil. 3 : 20, A. V., but the 
R. V. reads more accturately " citizenship." 

Corban (Kar'ban), offering, a word im- 
plying that the thing to which it apphed 
was consecrated to God. Mark 7 : 11. 

Corinth {KOr'inth), the capital of Achaia 
and a noted city of Greece. It had two sea- 
ports, Cenchrea and Lechaeum. On the 
south a rocky mountain called Acrocorin- 
thus rises abruptly to the height of 2000 
feet, upon the summit of which was a 
temple of Venus. Paul preached at Cor- 
inth, about A. D. 53, a year and six 
months. Acts 18 : 11 ; paid it, a. d. 54-57, a 
short second visit ("by the way"), not 
mentioned in the Acts, but imphed in 
1 Cor. 16 : 7 ; 2 Cor. 12 : 13, 14 ; 13 : 1, where 
he speaks of an intended third journey 
to Corinth, which coincides with that in 
Acts 20 : 2 ; and spent there the three win- 
ter montlis, from 57 to 58, during which 
he wrote the Epistle to the Romans. Acts 

20 : 2, 3 ; comp. 1 Cor. 16 : 6 ; Rom. 16 : 1. 
He wrote two letters to the Christians in 
that cit>', rebuking their sins, and refers to 
the Isthmian games celebrated at Corinth 
every Olympiad. The city is now desolate, 
the little miserable village of Gortho occupy- 
ing its site. 



CORlNTHlAifS 



OF THE StSLK 



COVfiNANt 



Corinthians {Ko-rin'thi-anz), The Epis- 
tles to. These two epistles discuss questions 
arising out of the appUcation of the gospel to 
the ordinary affairs of hfe. I. The first epistle 
was written by Paul at Ephesus, about a. 
D. 57, when the apostle received intelligence 
respecting the Corinthian church, through 
the family of Chloe, 1 Cor. 1 : 11, and a letter 
requesting advice, 7 : 1, probably brought 
by Stephanas, 16 : 17. Factions had risen 
in the church, some using Paul's name and 
some those of Peter, Apollos, and of Christ, 
in bitter contentions. Paul endeavors to 
restore harmony among them. He directs 
them as to the best method of Christian 
beneficence, and closes with friendly greet- 
ings. II. The second epistle was called forth 
by intelligence received through Titus, at 
PhiUppi. Paul learned of the favorable re- 
ception of his former letter, and the good 
effects produced, but that a party remained 
opposed to him— accusing liim of fickleness 
in not fulfilling his promise to visit them ; 
blaming his severity toward the incestuous 
I)erson ; and charged him with an assump- 
tion of unwarranted authority. In his re- 
ply he answers all these objections; en- 
larges upon the excellence of the new 
covenant, and the duties and rewards of 
its ministers, and on the duty of the Corin- 
thian Christians in charitable collections. 
He then vindicates his dignity and author- 
ity as an apostle. He closes by urging them 
to penitence, peace, and brotherly love. 
The second epistle probably was written a 
few months after the first. 

Cormorant, tlie plunger, Lev. 11 : 17 ; 
Deut. 14 : 17, an unclean bird, hke the cor- 
morant — which is a water-bird about the 
size of a goose. Another Hebrew word, 
translated " cormorant " in Isa. 34 : 11 ; 
Zeph. 2 : 14, A. V., should rather be trans- 
lated as it is in the R. V., and in other pas- 
sages of the A. v., "pelican." 

Corn. A general name for grain. The 
most common kinds were wheat, barley, 
spelt, R. v., Ex. 9 : 32 and Isa. 28 : 25, " rye ; " 
Ezek. 4:9, "fitches" and millet; oats are 
mentioned only by rabbinical writers. Our 
Indian corn was unknown in Bible times. 
The Jewish law permitted any one in pass- 
ing through a field of standing corn to pluck 
and eat. Deut. 23 : 25 ; see also Matt. 12 : 1. 
From Solomon's time, 2 Chron. 2 : 10, 15, as 
agriculture became developed under a set- 
tled government, Palestine was a corn-ex- 
porting country, and her grain was largely 
taken by her conmiercial neighbor Tyre. 
Ezek. 27 : 17 ; comp. Amos 8 : 5. 

Cornelius {Kor-ne'li-Us, 'Eng.Kor-nel'yiis). 
A Roman centurion of the Italian cohort 
stationed in Csesarea, Acts 10 : 1, etc., a man 
full of good works and almsdeeds. With 
his household he was baptized by Peter, 
and thus Cornehus became the first-fruits 
of the Gentile world to Christ. 

Corner. According to the Mosaic law, 
it was forbidden to reap the corners of the 
field, so that there might be gleanings for 
the poor. Lev. 19 : 9 ; 23 : 22. The " corner 
of the house-top," Prov. 21:9, is a narrow 
place exposed to sun and rain, contrasted 
with the wide room or house below. The 



word " corner" in the phrase " corners of 
Moab," or of any other country, Num. 
24 : 17 ; Jer. 48 : 45, means the length and 
breadth of the country, and also of the 
world. " Corner of a bed," Amos 3 : 12, the 
corner of a room ; was on the elevated part 
(used by night for a bed or couch), and con- 
tained the most honorable seat. In the pas- 
sage last cited it figuratively denotes the 
most proud and luxurious of the Israelites, 
in Samaria. In Zech. 10 : 4 the word " cor- 
ner "is used to denote either the corner- 
stone or the most conspicuous part of a 
building, and evidently refers to Christ, 
Matt. 21 : 42. 

Corner-stone. Job 38 : 6. Christ is called 
" the corner-stone of the Church," because 
he gives strength and unity to the whole 
structure of God's house. Comp. Eph. 2 : 20 ; 
1 Pet. 2:6; Matt. 21 : 42 ; Rom. 9 : 32, 33 ; 1 
Cor. 1 : 23. 

Cornet (Heb. shophdr). A loud-sound- 
ing instrument, made of the horn of a ram 
or of a chamois (sometimes of an ox), and 
used by the ancient Hebrews for signals. 
Lev. 25:9, R. V. "trumpet," and much 
used by the priests. 1 Chron. 15 : 28. 

Cos (KOs) or Coos (Kd-os). A small isl- 
and in the ^gean sea off the coast of Caria, 
the birthplace of Hippocrates, with a chief 
town of the same name, in which was a 
famous temple of ^sculapius. The island 
was celebrated for its wines, beautiful stuffs, 
and ointments. Paul passed a night here 
on his voyage from Miletus to Judea. Acts 
21:1. 

Council. There are three legal bodies 
called "councils" in the Enghsh N. T. : 
1. The Sanhedrin, the supreme court of 
the Jews, the fountain of their government, 
which sat at Jerusalem. By this body 
Jesus was tried. Matt. 26 : 59. 2. The lesser 
courts. Matt. 10 : 17 ; Mark 13 : 9. One was 
in each town, but two in the capital. 
Josephus states that each court consisted 
of seven judges, with two Levites as asses- 
sors. The "judgment," Matt 5:21, prob- 
ably applies to them. 3. The " council " 
spoken of in Acts 25:12 was a kind of 
jury "composed of councillors appointed 
to assist and advise the Roman govern- 
ors." 

Covenant. An agreement or mutual 
contract made with great solemnity. The 
Hebrew word Mreth, for covenant,' means 
" a cutting," having reference to the cus- 
tom of cutting or dividing animals in two 
and passing between the parts in ratifying 
a covenant. Gen. 15 ; Jer. 34 : 18, 19. In 
the New Testament the corresponding word 
is diatheke, which is frequently translated 
testament in the Authorized Version. In 
the Bible the word is used : 1. Of a cove- 
nant between God and man ; as God's cov- 
enant with Noah, after the flood. The Old 
Covenant, from which we name the first 
part of the Bible the Old Testament, is the 
covenant of works ; the New Covenant, or 
New Testament, is that of grace. 2. Cove- 
nant between tribes, Josh. 9 : 6, 15 ; 1 Sam. 
11 :1, or between individuals, G.en. 31 :44. 
In making such a covenant God was sol- 
emnly invoked as witness, Gen. 31 : 50, and 

61 



CHACKNELS 



PEOPLE'S DlCflOI^ARY 



CROWJ? OF tHOHNS 



an oath was taken. Gen. 21 : 31. A sign 
or witness of the covenant was sometimes 
framed, such as a gift, Gen. 21 : 30, or a pil- 
lar or heap of stones erected. Gen. 31 : 52. 
God's covenants, from the beginning, have 
been with his people and their seed— with 
Adam, Gen. 2 : 17 ; Rom, 5 : 12 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 
22 ; with Noah, Gen. 9:9; with Abraham, 
Gen. 17 : 7 ; 22 : 18 ; with the Jews, Ex. 6 : 4 ; 
19 : 5; 20 : 6 ; 34 : 27 ; Lev. 26 : 9, 42, 45 ; Deut. 
4 : 9, 37 ; with Christians, Acts 2 : 39 ; Eph. 
6:2. A covenant of salt, Num. 18 ; 19 ; 2 
Chron. 13 : 5, was a compact in which salt 
was used in its ratification. 

Cracknels. 1 Kings 14 : 3. Small dry 
cakes. 

Crane. A large bird measuring four 
feet in height and seven feet from tip to tip 
of its extended wings. When upon the 
wing it is usually noisy, and its cry is hoarse 
and melancholy ; hence the allusion of Isa. 
38 : 14. These birds return in the spring 
with great regularity from their migrations, 
and flocks of thousands pass over Pales- 
tine. Jer. 8 : 7. But the two Hebrew words 
sus and agur, rendered " crane " and " swal- 
low," may signify the " swallow twittering" 
or " chattering." 

Crete (kreet), now Candia. A large island 
in the Mediterranean sea, midway between 
Syri^ and Italy. It is about 140 miles long 
by 35 miles wide. The people were pro- 
verbially hars, Tit. 1 : 12 — a character they 
are said still to bear. "Homer dates afl. 
the fictions of Ulysses from Crete, as if he 
meant to pass a similar censure on the Cre- 
tans." Cretans were at Jerusalem on the 
day of Pentecost, Acts 2 : 11 ; Paul was 
shipwrecked near the island, and he left 
Titus there as the first pastor and superin- 
tendent, who was "to ordain elders in 
every city" of the island. Tit. 1:5. It is 
now under the tj'ranny of the Turks. 

Crimson. Jer. 4 : 30. See Colors. 

Crisping-pins, Isa. 3 : 22, A. V., " satch- 
els" R. V. Probably some small orna- 
mented reticule. 

Cross. The frightful mode of punishment 
by the cross appears to have becD practised 
from the earUest periods well known to 
history. Crosses were made of two beams 
of wood, crossing each other either at right 
angles, or obliquelj^ in the shape of the let- 
ler X ; with various modifications of form. 
There was sometimes also a kind of bracket 
attached near the bottom of the upright 
piece, as a partial support to the sufferer. 
Crucifixion was inflicted among the an- 
cient Persians, Assyrians, EgjT)tians, Car- 
thaginians, Indians', Scythians, Greeks, and 
Macedonians. Among the Romans, it pre- 
vailed from verj^ early times down to the 
reign of Constantine the Great, by whom 
it was abohshed ; and from the Romans it 
most probably passed to the Jews ; though 
some have imagined that they could trace 
the punishment in such passages as Deut. 
21 : 22, 23. The mode of execution by the 
cross may be thus described. Sometimes 
the sufferer was fastened to the cross as it 
lay on the ground : it was then hfted, with 
the body attached, and dropped into the 
hole, so prepared" that the feet were not 
62 



more than about half a yard from the earth. 
But sometimes the cross was first set up ; 
and then the criminal was attached to it. 
Tying and naihng were both in use. Our 
Lord was nailed. A medicated draught 
was offered to stupefy the senses : this Jesus 
refused. Mark 15 : 23. It was merciful to 
break the legs : death would come the 
sooner. The cross on which our Lord suf- 
fered was, if we may credit a legend, made 
of the aspen ; which is said hence to be 
continually trembhng. More reasonably, 
it may be beheved to have been of oak, 
which was plentiful in Judea. The cross 
of Christ was honored by his disciples. It 
was Christ crucified whom the apostles 
preached ; the divine Redeemer stooping 
so low as to endure this shocking death, in 
order to make a sufficient sacrifice, satisfac- 
tion, and oblation, for the sins of the world. 
1 Cor. 1 : 23, 24 ; 2:2. Hence they gloried 
in the cross of Christ, Gal. 6 : 14, and will- 
ingly, for love of him, took up the cross (a 
figurative expression) and followed him, 
suffering for his sake persecution even to 
the death. 2 Tim. 2 : 11, 12. Some centu- 
ries elapsed before the sjonbol was turned 
into an image, the cross into the figure of 
Christ suspended on it. It may be added that 
though among other nations bodies were 
generally suffered to rot upon the cross, the 
rites of sepulture being denied, the Jews 
observed the precept of Deut. 21 : 23, and 
took down the corpse before sunset. SVhen 
the Roman empire became Christian, the 
cross, heretofore so shameful, was adopted 
as a sjTnbol of honor ; it glittered on the 
helmets of the soldiery, was engraven on 
their shields, and interwoven into their 
banners. 

Crown. "Many crowns" is an expres- 
sion occurring in Scripture, Rev. 19 : 12 ; it 
being customary for those who claimed au- 
thority over more than one country^ to wear 
double or united crowns. We have a fa- 
miliar illustration of this in the papal tiara, 
or triple crown. Crowns of laurel, etc., 
were given to victors in the ancient games ; 
hence the Christian's final prize is repre- 
sented as a crown, the symbol of successful 
contest, the appropriate ornament of the 
roval dignitj' conferred upon him. 1 Cor. 
9 :"25 ; 2 Tim. 2:5; 4:8; Rev. 3 : 11. The 
term is also used figuratively elsewhere, as 
in Prov. 12 : 4 ; 14 : 24 ; 16 : 31. There were 
ancient coins called " crowns." 

Crown of Thorns. Our Lord was 
crowned in mockerv bv the Roman sol- 
diers. Matt. 27 : 29 ; Mark 15 : 17 ; John 19 : 
2. It is questioned whether this was only 
mockery, or whether it was specially in- 
tended for additional torture. Such a crown, 
it is clear, must have been made of some 
plant that would readily twist into a wreath. 
The large - leaved acanthns would not : 
hardly would the Spina Christi, as it is 
called, with strong sharp thorns. Hassel- 
quist imagines the thorn in question the 
Arabian nubk, a very common plant, " with 
many small and sharp spines, soft, round, 
and pliant branches ; leaves much resem- 
bhng ivy, of a verj' deep green, as if in de- 
signed mockery of a victor's wreath." 



CRUSE 



OF mH BIBLE. 



CYRBNIUS 



Cruse. This word appears as the trans- 
lation of three Hebrew words : one of these 
occurs in 1 Sam. 26 : 11, 12, 16 ; 1 Kings 17 : 
12, 14, 16 ; 19 : 6, to denote a vessel used for 
water or oil. Again, we have a " cruse of 
honey." 1 Kings 14 : 3. The same word is 
also rendered " bottle." Jer. 19 : 1, 10. This 
must have been of earthenware, and had 
its Hebrew name from the gurgling sound 
caused when any liquid was poured from 
it. The only other place in which our ver- 
sion has ' ' cruse " is 2 Kings 2 : 20. The orig- 
inal word is translated "dish "in 2 Kings 
21 : 13, " pans " in 2 Chron. 35 : 13, and " bos- 
om " in Prov. 19 : 24 ; 26 : 15, A. V., but dish 
in the R. V. It was probably a metal plat- 
ter or dish. 

. Crystal. This word occurs in the Com- 
mon Enghsh Version of Job 28 : 17. The R. 
V. reads "glass." The original term signi- 
fies something of exceeding purity. The 
Egyptians had the secret of introducing 
gold between two surfaces of glass, together 
with various colors. They could also en- 
amel upon gold. It is very likely that a 
reference to some such work of art is in- 
tended. The word rendered, "crystal" in 
Ezek. 1 : 22, is elsewhere "ice" or "frost." 
The margin of the R. V. reads "ice" here 
also. It is probably called "terrible" be- 
cause of the bright shining of such a sub- 
stance in the rays of the sun, dazzhng and 
bhnding the eye that looks on it. "We 
further find "crystal," the rock crystal, in 
Rev. 4:6; 22 : 1 ; also the epithet crystal- 
clear is given to jasper. Rev. 21 : 11. 

Cubit. Gen. 6 : 15. See Measures. 

Cuckoo. Lev. 11 : 16 ; Deut. 14 : 15, A. 
V. A bird whose flesh was not to be eaten. 
The cuckoo is known in Palestine; but 
more Ukely some of the lesser kinds of sea- 
fowl are meant. The R. V. reads "sea- 
mew " in both the above places. 

Cummin. Matt. 23:23. A low herb of 
the fennel kind, which produces aromatic 
geeds and is found in Syria. In Isa. 28 : 25, 
27, reference is made to the manner of sow- 
ing and threshing it. 

Cup-bearer. An oflBcer of high dignity 
at Eastern courts, as the butler of Pharaoh. 
Gen. 40 ; 41 : 9. Cup-bearers are mentioned 
in the description of Solomon's court, 1 
Kings 10 : 5 ; and Rabshakeh, as his name 
indicates, was cup-bearer to the king of As- 
syria. 2 Kings 18 : 17. Nehemiah held the 
same post under Artaxerxes. Neh. 1 : 11 ; 
2:1. And it was not only an honorable ap- 
pointment, but must have been a source of 
great emolument, for Nehemiah was evi- 
dently a man of wealth. Neh. 5 : 14-19. 
The cup was washed in the king's pres- 
ence, and when filled, after the officer had 
tasted a little of the wine, which he poured 
into his left hand, was presented on three 
fingers. So no modern Eastern attendant 
ever grasps any vessel he offers to his mas- 
ter, but places it on his left hand, and stead- 
ies it with his right. 

Cush {Msh). 1. A country near the Gihon, 
Gen. 2 : 13 (margin A. V., and the text of 
the R. v.), north of Assyria. 2. The country 
peopled by Cush or the Ethiopians, Gen. 
10 : 6, lying to the south of Egypt, on the 



upper Nile, and possibly extending its rule 
into southern Arabia. See Ethiopia. 

Cymbals. There are two kinds of cym- 
bals, both of which we find mentioned in 
Ps. 150 : 5. The first kind, called the loud 
cymbals, hke castanets, consisted of small 
round plates, two of which are held in each 
hand, one upon the thumb and the other 
upon the nuddle finger, and being struck 
together skilfully make an agreeable sound. 
The second kind, called the high-sounding 
cymbals, were two broad convex plates of 
brass, the concussion of which produced a 
shrill, piercing sound, hke clattering rather 
than tinkhng. 1 Cor. 13 : 1. Both kinds 
are in common use to-day in the East. 

Cypress. R. V. holm tree. Isa. 44 : 14. 
The Hebrew word indicates a tree with 
hard-grained wood, not the cypress, but 
probably the Syrian juniper which grows 
wild upon Lebanon, is meant, as the cypress 
never does in the Holy Land. The latter 
tree is a tall evergreen, the wood of which 
is heavy, aromatic, and remarkably dura- 
ble. Its foliage is dark and gloomy, its 
form close and pyramidal, and it is usually 
planted in the cemeteries of the East. Cof- 
fins were made of it in the East, and the 
mummy-cases of Egypt are found at this 
day of the cypress wood. The timber has 
been known to suffer no decay by the lapse 
of 1100 years. 

Cyprus (sVprus). A large fertile island 
of the Mediterranean Sea, triangular in 
form, 150 miles long, and from 50 to 60 
miles broad. Venus was its chief goddess 
— hence her name Cypria. It contained 
two prominent cities, Salamis and Paphos, 
and 17 towns. Salamis was at the east and 
Paphos at the west end of the island. Acts 
13 : 4, 5. Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, 
and its people are noticed in apostolic his- 
tory. Acts 4 : 36 ; 13 : 4 ; 15 : 39. Sergius 
Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, was converted 
by Paul on his first missionary tour, Acts 
13 : 7 fi"., and thus became the first Christian 
ruler on record. Cyprus was colonized by 
the Phoenicians at a very early date. It 
was the Chittim, or Kittim, of the Old Tes- 
tament. Num. 24 : 24. Copper mining and 
the production of swords, armor, and other 
articles in bronze were its principal indus- 
tries. There was also an extensive com- 
merce. In literature, Cyprus boasted of 
very early distinction. After belonging to 
Egypt, Persia, and Greece, it became a Ro- 
man possession 58 b. c, and is now under 
the Enghsh government. 

Cyrene {sl-re'ne) . The chief city of Libya, 
in northern Africa. Simon, who bore our 
Saviour's cross, was of that city. Matt. 
27 : 32 ; its people were at Jerusalem during 
the Pentecost, and they had a synagogue 
there, Acts 2 : 10 ; 6:9, and some of them 
became preachers of the gospel. Acts 11 : 20 ; 
13 : 1. Cyrene was destroyed by the Sara- 
cens in the fourth century, and is now des- 
olate. 

Cyrenius {sl-re'ni-Hs). Luke 2 : 2, A. V., 
but Quirinius in R, V. The transliteration 
of a Greek name, which is itself the Greek 
form of the Roman name of Quirinius. The 
full name is Pubhus Sulpicius Quirinius. 

63 



eYRtlS 



PEOPLE'S MCTiONARY 



BAN 



He was consul b. c. 12, and made governor 
of Syria after the banishment of Archelaus 
in A. D. 6, He was sent to make an enrol- 
ment of property in Syria, and made ac- 
cordingly, both there and in Judea, a cen- 
sus. But the census in Luke 2 : 2 seems to 
be identified with one which took place at 
the time of the birth of Christ. There is good 
reason for believing that Quirinius was 
twice governor of Syria, and that his first 
governorship extended from b. c. 4— the 
year of Christ's birth— to B. c. 1, when he 
was succeeded by M. Lollius. 

Cyrus {sVrus), the sun. In Hebrew Ko- 
resh, founder of the Persian empire ; used 
by Jehovah in the execution of his designs 
of mercv towards the Jews, as foretold by 
Isaiah 44 : 28 ; 45 : 1-7 ; comp. 2 Chron. 36 : 
22, 23 ; Ezra 1:1-4; Dan. 6 : 28. Some sup- 
pose Cyrus to be a title of a ruler, as Caesar 
or Pharaoh ; in that case Isaiah would not 
necessarily designate a particular king, but 
only the chief ruler of Persia. This Cyrus 
was the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, 
and a nephew of Darius the Mede (Cyax- 
ares), and united the crowns of Persia and 
Media. He ordered a return of the Jews, 
who had been seventy years in captivity, 
to their own land, and furnished them 
very hberally Tv^th the means of rebuilding 
their temple. Daniel lived at his court, 
and was his favorite minister and adviser. 
Dan. 6 : 28. The captivity of the Jews, 
which was ended by the decree of Cyrus, 
B. c, 536, ended also the sin of idolatry in 
the nation. 

o 

Daberath {d&l/e-rdth), the subdiier. A 
town on the borders of Issachar and Zebu- 
lun. Josh. 19 : 12 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 72. 

Dagon {dd'gon), fish. The national deity 
of the Phihstines. There was a temple 
of Dagon at Gaza, Judg. 16 : 23, and one 
at Ashdod, 1 Sam. 5 : 1, 7 ; the latter was 
destroyed by Jonathan Maccabseus. Prob- 
ably the worship of the male (Dagon) and 
female (Derceto) deities was conjoined 
in the same sanctuarj-. 1 Sam. 31 : 10 ; 1 
Chron. 10 : 10. There are places called Beth- 
dagon, where doubtless this idolatrous wor- 
ship prevailed. Josh. 15 : 41 ; 19 : 27. Dagbn 
was represented with the face and hands 
of a human being, and with a fishy tail. 
Some representations of a fish-god have 
been discovered among the Assyrian sculp- 
tures. 

Dalmanutha {dQl-md'nu'thah). A town 
on the sea of Galilee, near Magdala, in R. 
V, Magadan, Mark 8 : 10 ; Matt. 15 : 39 ; 
probably at 'Ain-el-Barideh, on the west 
side of the sea, two miles from Tiberias, 
where are ruins. 

Dalmatia (dcd-md'sM-ah). A mountain- 
ous district on the east of the Adriatic Sea ; 
visited by Titus. 2 Tim. 4 : 10. 

Damascus (da-mds'kus). The ancient 
city of Syria, 133 miles northeast of Jerusa- 
lem. It 'is on a fertile plain, 30 miles in 
diameter, with mountains on three sides. 
The plain is weU watered by the Barada, 
64 



the Chrysorrhoas (or "Golden Stream" of 
the Greeks, the Abana of Scripttire ; now 
El A'waj, "the Crooked"), and the Phar- 
par of Scripture. 2 Kings 5 : 12. The ch- 
mate is dehghtful ; the nights are cool and 
the dews heavy : yet the people sleep on 
the flat roofs of their houses. Damascus is 
called by the Arabs "the Eye of the Des- 
ert" and the "Pearl of the East." It is to 
the Mohammedan the earthly reflection of 
Paradise. Travellers have vied with each 
other in describing the beauty of Damas- 
cus. "From the edge of the mountain 
range," says Stanley, "you look down on 
the plain. ". . . The river Abana (the Ba- 
rada), with its green banks, is seen at the 
bottom rushing through the cleft : it bursts 
forth, and as if in a moment scatters over 
the plain, through a circle of 30 miles, the 
same verdure which had hitherto been 
confined to its single channel. . . . Far and 
wide in front extends the level plain, its 
horizon bare, its lines of surrounding hills 
bare, all bare far away on the road to Pal- 
myra and Bagdad. In the midst of this 
plain hes at your feet the vast lake or island 
of deep verdure, walnuts and apricots wav- 
ing above, corn and grass below; and in 
the midst of this mass of foliage rises, strik- 
ing out its wide arms of streets hither and 
thither, and its white minarets above the 
trees which embosom them, the city of 
Damascus. On the right towers the snowj' 
height of Hermon, overlooking the whole 
scene. Close behind are the sterile hme- 
stone momitains ; so that you can stand 
literally between the living and the dead." 
Si7iai and Palestine, p. 410. Damascus has 
been called the oldest city in the world. 
Josephus says it was founded by Uz, a 
grandson of Shem ; Abraham visited it, 
Gen. 14 : 15 ; 15 : 2, A. V., but the R. V. reads 
" Dammesek Ehezer ; " it was conquered by 
David, 2 Sam. 8 : 5, 6 ; was alhed %vith Is- 
rael and against Israel, 1 Kings 15 : 18, 20 ; 
2 Chron. 16 : 3 ; was taken by Tiglath-pile- 
ser ; denounced by Jeremiah, Jer. 49 : 27 ; 
and afterward seldom noticed in Old Tes- 
tament historj\ It Avas surrendered to 
Alexander the Great after the battle of Is- 
sus, B. c. 333. In the New Testament it is 
noticed as the place of the scene of Paul's 
conversion. Acts 9 : 1-25 ; later it became 
the residence of a Christian bishop; was 
conquered by the Arabs A. D. 635 ; became 
a provincial capital of the Turkish empire, 
1516 ; and is now the residence of a Turk- 
ish governor. It is the hot-bed of Moham- 
medan fanaticism. In 1860, 6000 Christians 
were massacred by the Moslems in cold 
blood, in the city' and adjoining districts. 
It has a population of from 110,000 to 150,- 
000. The principal street, known as Sul- 
tany, or Queen' s street, runs in nearly a 
stra'ight Une from east to west, and is sxi-p- 
posed to be the same as the street called 
" Straight " in Acts 9 : 11. 

Dan [dan), judge. 1. A son of Jacob by 
his concubine Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid. 
Gen. 30 : 6 ; 35 : 25 ; Ex. 1:4; 1 Chron. 2 : 2. 
Of Dan's personal history we know noth- 
ing, except that he had one son, Hushlm 
or Shuham. Gen. 46 : 23 ; Num. 26 : 42. He 



DANCE 



OF THE BIBLE. 



DANIEL, BOOK OF 



shared with his brethren the prophetic 
blessing of Jacob, Gen. 49 : 16, 17, fulfilled, 
perhaps, in the administration of Samson, 
and in the craft and stratagem which his 
descendants used against their enemies. 
Other explanations, however, have been 
given. Those descendants multipUed large- 
ly ; for at the first census after quitting 
Egypt the tribe numbered 6:^,700 males 
above 20 years of age ; and, when num- 
bered again on their coming to Jordan, 
they were 64,400. Num. 1 : 38, 39 ; 26 : 42, 
43. Moses ere his death, like Jacob, pro- 
nounced a prophetic blessing on the tribe : 
" Dan is a lion's whelp : he shall leap from 
Bashan," Deut. 33 : 22, fulfilled in the preda- 
tory expeditions of which one at least 
is recorded in their subsequent history. 
2. The territory in Canaan allotted to Dan 
was on the seacoast, west of Benjamin and 
between Ephraim and Judah. It embraced 
a broad plain, 14 miles long, near the sea. 
The Amorites kept them from the plain 
and forced them into the mountains. 
Hence they had another portion granted 
them, near Mount Hermon, Judg. 18, where 
thej' set up a graven image stolen from 
Micah. 3. Dan, city of, the chief city of 
the northern district held by this tribe. 
Judg. 20 : 1. It was originally called Laish, 
Judg. 18 : 29 ; noted for idolatry, Judg. 18: 30 ; 
now called Tel-el-Kady, or " Mound of the 
Judge," three miles from Banias, north of 
the waters of Merom. 4. The Dan of Ezek. 
27 : 19, R. V. " Vedan," is possibly the same 
as No. 2, but some identify it with Dedar, 
others with Aden, in Arabia. 

Dance, Dancing. In Eastern nations 
the mingling of the sexes in the dance is 
seldom if ever known, although dancing 
was common, as a religious act, and also 
as a voluptuous entertainment. Just as 
impassioned language became " poetry," 
and song broke forth from the lips, so 
among Oriental peoples the limbs partook 
of the excitement, Ps. 35 : 10, and joy was 
exhibited in dancing. We read of dances 
among the Hebrews at solemn religious 
festivals. Thus David danced before the 
Lord at the bringing up of the ark into 
Jerusalem. 2 Sam. 6 : 14. His wife Michal 
reproached him for dancing. 2 Sam. 16 : 
20-22. There were also dances of Hebrew 
women. We have an example of this after 
the passage of the Red Sea. There was a 
responsive song of triumph ; the men, how- 
ever, are not said to have danced, but the 
women did. Ex. 15 : 20. Similar were the 
dances that celebrated David's victory over 
Goliath, 1 Sam. 18 : 6 ; see also Ps. 68 : 25 ; 
the "timbrels" being musical instruments 
invariably accompanied with dancing. The 
sexes were not mixed in social dances. 
Thus it is evident that the daughters of 
Shiloh were not accompanied by even their 
male relatives. Judg. 21 : 21. Theirs would 
seem to have been a religious festival. 
There were also dances of mere pleas- 
ure and revelry, 1 Sam. 30 : 16, R. V. reads 
"feasting" instead of "dancing;" Job 21: 
11 ; Jer. 31 : 4, 13 ; Luke 15 : 25. Of the 
modes or figures of the Hebrew dance we 
know little ; whether it was in a ring, or 



whether the performers were arranged in 
more than one row. In the East at present 
a female leads the dance ; and others fol- 
low, imitating exactly her movements. 
Possibly, double rows, something similar to 
the country-dance, may be alluded to in 
Sol. Song 6 : 13 ; where Ginsberg translates 
"Like a dance to double choirs." The 
daughter of Herodias danced alone. Matt. 
14 : 6. It may be observed that a Hebrew 
word, mahhol, rendered "dance" in our 
version, Ps. 150 : 4, and elsewhere, is sup- 
posed by some to mean a musical instru- 
ment. 

Daniel {ddn'i-el, or ddn'yel), judgment of 
God. 1. A son of David by Abigail the 
Carmelitess. 1 Chron. 3:1. In 2 Sam. 3 : 3 
he is called Chileab. 2. The name of one 
of " the greater prophets." Nothing is cer- 
tainly known of his parentage or family. 
He appears, however, to have been of royal 
or noble descent, Dan. 1 : 3, and to have 
possessed great natural talents. Dan. 1 : 4. 
He was taken to Babylon in " the third 
year of Jehoiakim," and trained for the 
king's service. He and his companions 
resolved to abstain from the " king's meat " 
for fear of defilement. Dan. 1 : 8-16. At 
the close of his three years' discipline, 
Dan. 1 : 5, 18, Daniel had an opportunity of 
exercising his peculiar gift, Dan. 1 : 17, of 
interpreting dreams, on the occasion of 
Nebuchadnezzar's decree against the Magi. 
Dan. 2 : 14 ff. In consequence of his abil- 
ity, by divine assistance, to reveal the dream 
to the king, he was made "ruler of the 
whole province of Babylon." Dan. 2:48. 
He afterwards interpreted a second dream 
of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4 : 8-27, and the 
handwriting on the wall which disturbed 
the feast of Belshazzar. Dan. 5 : 10-28. At 
the accession of Darius he was made " first," 
according to the A. V., but the R. V. reads 
"one" of the "three presidents" of the 
empire, Dan. 6 : 2, and was delivered from 
the lion's den, into which he had been cast 
for his faithfulness in the M^orship of Je- 
hovah, Dan. 6 : 10-23. At the accession of 
Cyrus he still retained his prosperity. Dan. 
6 : 28, compare ; Dan. 1 : 21, though he does 
not appear to have remained at Babylon, 
and in "the third year of Cyrus" he 
s.aw his last recorded vision, on the 
banks of the Tigris. Dan. 10 : 1, 4. In the 

grophecies of Ezekiel mention is made of 
laniel as a pattern of righteousness, Ezek. 
14 : 14, 20, and wisdom, Ezek. 28 : 3. The 
narrative implies that Daniel was distin- 
guished for purity and knowledge at a very 
early age. Dan. 1 : 19. 3. A descendant ot 
Ithamar, who returned with Ezra. Ezra 8 : 
2. 4. A priest who sealed the covenant 
drawn up by Nehemiah. Neh. 10 : 6. He 
is perhaps the same as No. 3. 

Daniel, book of. The book of Daniel 
was not placed among the prophetical 
books in the Hebrew Bible, but in the third 
division (writings) and after the Psalms. 
It is written partly in Chaldaic or Aramaic, 
and partly in the sacred Hebrew. The in- 
troduction, Dan, 1 to 2 : 4 a, is written in He- 
brew. At the answer of the Chaldseans. 
which the A. V. says was made in " Syriac,'' 

65 



DARIUS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



DAVID 



the language changes to Aramaic, and this 
is retained till the close of the seventh 
chapter or 2 : 4 b to 7. The personal intro- 
duction of Daniel as the wTiter of the text, 
8 : 1, is marked by a change of the language 
again back to the Hebrew, which continues 
to the close of the book. Chs. 8 to 12. The 
book may be divided into three parts. The 
first chapter forms an introduction. The 
next six chapters, 2-7, give a general view 
of the progressive history of the powers of 
the world, and of the principles of the di- 
vine government as seen in the events of 
the life of Daniel. The remainder of the 
book, chs. 8-12, traces in minuter detail the 
fortunes of the people of God, as typical of 
the fortunes of the Church in all ages. In 
the first seven chapters Daniel is spoken of 
historically ; in the last five he appears per- 
sonally as the M'riter. The cause of the 
difference of person is commonly supposed 
to he in the nature of the case. The New 
Testament incidentally acknowledges each 
of the characteristic elements of the book, 
its miracles, Heb. 11 : 33, 34, its predictions. 
Matt. 24 : 15, and its appearance of the 
angel Gabriel, Luke 1 : 19, 26. Statements 
in the book itself imply that it was written 
by Daniel, and this is confirmed by refer- 
ences to it in the New Testament and in 
first book of Maccabees. 1 : 54 ; 2 : 59, 60. 
Josephus also reports that it was written 
by Daniel, " one of the greatest of the 
prophets." Antiq. 10 : 11. Some historical 
diflaculties in the book have been removed 
by late discoveries, and as more hght is 
gained respecting the history of tliis period, 
the external evidence tends to support the 
historical claims of the book. 

Darius {da-rVus), restrainer. The name 
of several kings of Media and Persia men- 
tioned in the Bible. 1. Darius the Median, 
Dan. 5 : 31, was the son of Ahasuerus ; he 
took Babylon from Belshazzar the Chal- 
daean, being at that time about 62 years old. 
The best identification is that which makes 
him Astyages, the last king of the Medes. 
" Only one year of the reign of Darius is 
mentioned, Dan. 9:1; 11 : 1 ; and if, as 
seems probable, Darius (Astyages) occupied 
the throne of Babylon as supreme sover- 
eign, with Nerigalsarasser as vassal-prince, 
after the murder of Evil-merodach (Bel- 
shazzar), B. c. 559, one year only remains for 
this Median supremacy before its over- 
throw by Cyrus, b. c. 558, in exact accord- 
ance with the notices in Daniel." Under 
him Daniel was advanced to the highest 
dignity, which exposed him to the mahce 
of enemies and led to his being cast into 
the den of Uons, but by a miracle he escaped 
injury. 2. Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the 
founder of the Perso-Arvan dynastj^ and 
ruler, B. c. 521-486. Ezra 4 : 5, 24 ; Hag. 1 : 
1, 15 ; Zech. 1 : 1, 7 ; 7 : 1. He found in the 
palace at Achmetha or Ecbatana, the cap- 
ital of Cyrus, a decree of that king con- 
cerning the temple in Jerusalem. This he 
confirmed, and the temple was finished in 
four years, B. c. 516. Ezra 6 : 15. It may, 
however, have been used before it was en- 
tirely completed, as is inferred from Zech. 
7:2, 3. 3. Darius the Persian, mentioned 

66 



in Neh. 12 : 22, is generally identified with 
Darius Codomaunus, the antagonist of 
Alexander the Great, who ascended the 
throne B. c. 336, and reigned until b. c. 330. 
He was the last Persian monarch, and was 
killed by his own generals. Alexander 
defeated him, and thus the prophecy of 
Daniel, Dan. 8, was fulfilled. 

Dathan (dd'than). See Korah. 

David {dd'vid), beloved. The great king 
of Israel. He was the eighth and youngest 
son of Jesse, of Bethlehem and of the tribe 
of Judah. Six of his brothers are named 
in Scripture, 1 Chron. 2 : 13-15 ; of the other, 
we know only the fact of his existence, 1 
Sam. 17 : 12 ; arid it is needless to mention 
the conjectures which have been formed of 
him. David had also two sisters. 1 Chron. 
2 : 16, 17. His mother's name is not re- 
corded, unless, as some have believed, she 
was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17 : 25. When the 
Lord, because of the ungodly conduct of 
Saul, had determined to chbose another 
king, Samuel was directed to go to Beth- 
lehem : and from the sons of Jesse anoint 
another as king over Israel. Dean Stanley 
thus describes David's appearance and 
physique as he stood before Samuel: "He 
was short of stature, had red hair and bright 
eyes. He was remarkable for the grace of 
his figure and countenance, well made, and 
of immense strength and agiUtj^ In swift- 
ness and activity he could only be com- 
pared to a wild gazelle, with feet like harts' 
feet, vrith arms strong enough to break a 
bow of steel or bend a bow of brass." R. V. 
Ps. 18 : 33, 34. Samuel anointed David " in 
the midst of his brethren," 1 Sam. 16:13; 
and the Spirit of God was from that day 
specially upon him. David returned to the 
care of his flocks. Such education as the 
times aiforded he doubtless had, and 
God's law was his study. He had poetic 
genius, too; and music was his dehght. 
When Saul, afiiicted now with that black 
spirit of melancholy which his sins had 
justly brought upon him, might, it was 
thought, be soothed by a minstrel's music, 
David took his harp to the palace ; and his 
music calmed Saul's distemper; and Saul 
was gratified and became attached to his 
skilful attendant. David was not indeed 
altogether removed from home. He went 
backwards and forwards, as the king's dark 
hour was upon him, and his services were 
needed. In 1 Sam. 16 : 21 it is said that 
Saul made David his armor-bearer. And 
this has puzzled commentators exceed- 
ingly. For it then would have been strange 
if neither Saul nor any one about his per- 
son had recognized David when he came, 
as we find in the next chapter, to accept 
Gohath's challenge. And so all sorts of 
devices have been contrived to get the his- 
tory into chronological order ; some imagin- 
ing' that the fight Mith the Phihstine was 
before David was attached to Saul as the 
minstrel. David oflFers to engage Gohath ; 
but Saul doubts whether the young man 
was equal to such a perilous encounter; 
and Da^dd of course makes no allusion to 
his having previously stood before the king. 
Had it come out then that he was but th© 



DAVID 



OF THE BIBLE. 



DAVID 



minstrel, the discovery would have been 
enough to prevent his being allowed the 
combat : he tells, therefore, how he killed 
the lion and the bear ; and his evident en- 
thusiasm wrings a consent from Saul that 
he shall go to battle. Saul accordingly arms 
him— not with his own personal armor, as 
some have not very wisely supposed : the 
stalwart king would have krown better 
than to encumber the stripMng with his 
own coat of mail — but with weapons^ 
plenty were no doubt in the royal tent — 
more suited to his size. With these, how- 
ever, unaccustomed as he was to such har- 
ness (an additional proof that he had never 
yet been Saul's armor-bearer), David refuses 
to go. He will rather take his shepherd's 
sling, and choose him out pebbles from the 
brook. David was successful; the huge 
Philistine fell; and the IsraeUtish troops 
pealed out their shouts of victory. Then 
Abner was wilUng to appear as a patron, 
and took the conqueror to Saul. And, in 
answer to the king's query, David replies, 
" I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth- 
lehemite, 1 Sam. 17 : 58, adopting the style 
by which he was first named to the king. 
1 Sam. 16 : 18. He is now fully recognized, 
found both a skilful musician and a valiant 
soldier, and attains the position mentioned 
before. 1 Sam. 16 : 21. ' Saul loves him, and 
makes him his armor-bearer, and sends a 
second message to Jesse, 1 Sam. 16 : 22, 
which, if not explained in this way, would 
seem unnecessary. See 1 Sam. 16 : 19. David 
is now established in the king's favor : he 
is specially beloved by Jonathan ; he is set 
over the men of war, 1 Sam. 18 : 5, perhaps 
made captain of the body-guard, and em- 
ployed in various services tlie rest of the 
campaign; by which his popularity was 
increased. But the king's mind began ere 
long to change. The rejoicings at the re- 
establishment of peace provoked his jeal- 
ousy. For the chief praise in the songs of 
the women was given to David. 1 Sam. 
18 : 6-9. And speedily the evil spirit re- 
sumed his sway. David did not then re- 
fuse to take up again his harp ; though once 
or twice the maddened king strove to kill 
him with his javelin, and, because he could 
no longer bear his constant presence, re- 
moved him from the body-guard to a sepa- 
rate command, 1 Sam. 18 : 13. After he had 
married Saul's younger daughter Michal, 
instead of the elder Merab, who had been 
promised him, Saul, further enraged by 
David's increasing credit with the nation, 
and understanding, it is Ukely, by this time, 
that the young Bethlehemite was the 
chosen of the Lord, to Avhom the kingdom 
was to be transferred, sent to arrest him in 
his house. By Michal' s stratagem he es- 
caped, and fled to Samuel at Naioth in 
Ramah. Hither, however, he was followed, 
1 Sam. 19, and again he fled ; his stay with 
Samuel, whom he had perhaps not seen 
since the anointing, being in all probability 
not longer than a day or two. Convinced 
by an interview with Jonathan that Saul's 
enmity was no mere transient passion, 1 
Sam. 20, David went to Nob, where his 
(Juplicity cost the high priest his life, and 



thence to Achish, king of Gath, where, to 
escape the jealousy of the Philistines, he 
simulated madness. 1 Sam. 21. Returning 
into Judah, he gathered a band of men, and 
maintained himself sometimes in the wil- 
derness, sometimes hiding in caves, some- 
times occupying a town, as Keilah. His 
father and mother he had placed with the 
king of Moab, 1 Sam. 22:3; and he had 
now the presence of the prophet Gad. 1 
Sam. 22 : 5. At Keilah, too, Abiathar, be- 
come high priest on his father's murder, 
joined him, 1 Sam. 22 : 20 ; 23 : 4, and various 
warriors : eleven Gadite chiefs are particu- 
larly specified, and some of Judah and 
Benjamin. 1 Chron. 12 : 8-18. To this period 
belong the circumstances narrated in the 
concluding chapters of the first book of 
Samuel — the adventure with Nabal, and 
David's marriage with Abigail ; his twice 
sparing Saul's hfe; perhaps the battle for 
the water of the well of Bethlehem, 1 Chron. 
11 : 15-19 ; and also the residence with 
Achish, who gave him Ziklag, David's 
conduct at this time cannot be justified. 
He laid waste the country of PhiUstine 
alhes, and pretended that he had destroyed 
only the tribes dependent upon Judah ; and 
he joined Achish's army when marching 
to the battle of Gilboa. Here he was rein- 
forced by some Manassites, 1 Chron. 12 : 19, 
20, but was dismissed from the expedition 
through the renewed jealousy of the Phil- 
istine lords. He returned, therefore, to 
Ziklag, to find it plundered and burnt. 
However, he recovered what was lost, and 
obtained greater spoil, which he politicly 
sent to his friends in Judah, and, on the 
news of Saul's defeat and death just after, 
he repaired, by God's direction, to Hebron, 
and was anointed king. 2. Sam. 2 : 2-4. He 
reigned as yet over only a part of the na- 
tion; for Abner established Ish-bosheth, 
Saul's son, on the west of the Jordan, and 
over Israel generally. But gradually the 
tribes were flocking to David, 1 Chron. 12 : 
23-40 ; and Saul's house was weakening 
as he was strengthened; till at length 
Abner himself came with a proposal to 
transfer to him the whole kingdom. 2 Sam. 
3. But Abner was miirdered by Joab, Da- 
vid's nephew and commander-in-chief, a 
man too powerful to be punished; and 
shortly after Ish-bosheth was assassinated 
by two of his officers ; and then the nation 
was reunited ; and David reigned over the 
kingdom of Israel ; seven years and six 
months having elapsed since he had taken 
the crown of Judah. 2 Sam. 4 : 5. He was 
now " one of the great men of the earth." 
2 Sam. 7 : 9. He consolidated his power at 
home, took Jerusalem and made it his cap- 
ital, removing thither the ark of God, 2 
Sam. 6, organized his army, 1 Chron. 11, 
and regulated the services of the sanctuary, 
15 ; 16, enlarged his harem, 2 Sam. 3 : 2-5 ; 
5 : 13-16, opened commercial intercourse 
with the king of Tyre, 2 Sam. 5 : 11, and 
also extended his power abroad, subduing 
the PhiUstines, Syrians, Moabites, and Am- 
monites. His dominion was an empire, ex- 
tending far as the large promise made orig- 
inally to Abraham, and repeated again and 

67 



BAY 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



DEACON 



again to the chosen people. Gen. 15 : 18- 
21 ; Ex. 23 : 31 ; Deut. 11 : 2-1. He had lin- 
gered at Jerusalem, while Joab was besieg- 
ing Kabbah of the children of Ammon. 
And then occurred those shameful deeds, 
the adultery, with Bath-sheba, and the 
murder of Uriah, which at first, it seems, 
did not touch his conscience, but which, 
when charged home upon him by the 
prophet Nathan, humbled the guiltj- 
monarch in the dust. 2 Sam. 11 ; 12. He 
repented deeply, see Ps. 51, which is as- 
cribed to this period, and he obtained par- 
don by God's mercy. But he was not again 
the David of former days. The sword was 
never to depart from his house. 2 Sam. 12 : 
10. And it never did. There was the de- 
filement of Tamar, and the murder of his 
first-born Amnon, 2 Sam. 13 ; and then Ab- 
salom's unnatural rebellion and death, 2 
Sam. 15 ; 18 ; and Sheba's insurrection, 2 
Sam. 20 : and the plague for the numbering 
of the people, 2 Sam. 24 ; and Adonijah's 
seizure of the government, when the 
most long-tried counsellors of David de- 
serted him. a movement that could be 
crushed only by the aged monarch's de- 
vohi-ng his crown upon Solomon, 1 Kings 
1 ; with various other griefs. He transmit- 
ted a magnificent heritage to Solomon, to 
whom he left the carrying out of that pur- 
jKDse he had long before conceived, 2 Sam. 

7 : 1 Chron. 28 ; 29, of erecting a temple. Da- 
vid's character is clearly shown in the 
events of his life — whose strains of inspired 
song intertwine with all the devotional 
and joj-ful feeUngs of God's people in everj- 
age. The Psalms are a rich heritage to the 
church. Very many were from David's 
pen. And, though we cannot with preci- 
sion point out all he wrote, or describe the 
times and circumstances tinder which those 
were peimed that we know did come from 
him, yet we dehght to couple particular 
compositions with various crises of David's 
life— as Ps. 42 with his flight across the Jor- 
dan in Absalom's rebelhon ; Ps. 24 with the 
bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem ; Ps. 
18 with David's dehverance from his ene- 
mies, and to see his emorions of praise, and 
hope, and repentance, and graritude, and 
faith, at the wonderful deaUngs of God 
with him. Of the children of David many 
are menrioned in Scripture ; and there were 
probably more ; twenty-one sons are enu- 
merated and one daughter. 2 Sam. 3 : 2-5 ; 
5 : 13-16 ; 12 ; 15, 24 ; 1 Chron. 3 : 1-9 ; 14 : 3-7 ; 
2 Chron. 11 : 18. 

Day. The Hebrews, probably, from the 
narrative of crearion. Gen. 1 : o ; see Dan. 

8 : 14, marg., began their day at sunset. 
Lev. 23 : 32. Their divisions of the day ap- 
pear to have been in early times verj* inar- 
tificial. Thus we read of a distribution 
into three parts — evening, morning, and 
noon. Ps. 55 : 17. The first mention of an 
hour is by the prophet Daniel, Dan. 3:6, 15 ; 
4 : 19, "for a while," R. V. ; 5:5; probably, 
then, the reckoning of the twelve hours of 
the day was borrowed from the Chaldeans. 
In New Testament rimes it was a well im- 
derstood distriburion of time. John 11 : 9. 
These twelve hours, extending from sun- 



rise to sunset, were, of course, of variable 
length. The variation is not, however, so 
much as it would be in our latitude ; and, 
the sixth hour being noon, the third may 
be roughly said to be our nine in the morn- 
ing, the ninth three in the afternoon. The 
nights were divided into watches, at first 
three, afterwards four. The word "day" 
is used in various senses, sometimes for a 
festal or birthday, Job 3:1; sometimes for 
the great day of God's judgment, Acts 17 : 
31 ; 2 Tim. 1 : 18. The meaning is some- 
rimes indefinite, as it is with us. Gen. 2:4; 
and according to some the " davs " of crea- 
tion, Gen. 1 ; 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, indicate not 
natui'al days, but long periods of time. 
Day is also used symboUcally, Num. 14 : 34 ; 
and sharp contests there are among inter- 
preters of prophecv whether the davs of 
Dan. 12 : 11, 12 ; Kev. 11 : 3, 9 do not iaean 
years. 

Deacon. The name of an office-bearer 
in the Christian church. It is generally 
connected with the appointment of the 
seven who were to relieve the aperies in 
the " daily ministration," the distribution 
of the furids. and of provision for the mem- 
bers of the early church. Acts 6 : 1-6. The 
special name of deacon is not, however, 
given to the seven ; the order called dea- 
cons was subsequently established, and 
founded upon or in imitation of the office 
committed to the seven. See Alford, The 
Greek Test., note on Acts 6:5. It has indeed 
been suggested that there was already a 
class called ''the young men," which was 
the prototj'pe of the diaconate. Acts 5 : 
6, 10. Different Greek words are used, 
however, in the two vei"ses just referred to, 
and the specific duties of the two classes do 
not closely resemble each other. The 
Greek word for deacon often is used to in- 
dicate any person ministering in God's ser- 
vice. Thus it designates our Lord himself, 
Eom. 15 : 8 ; and Paul describes by it his 
own position, 2 Cor. 6:4; Eph. 3 : 7 :'CoL 1 : 
23 ; in all which places it is translated 
" minister." Then it began to be used of a 
particular order in the church. Phil. 1:1; 
1 Tim. 3, 8-10, 12, 13. The qualifications of 
deacons are described ; from which in some 
measure their duties may be deduced. They 
were to hold a certain authority, and to 
show themselves parterns to behevers. 
They were to be pure in faith ; but it is not 
required, as it is of the bishop or overseer, 
that they should be "apt to teach." The 
inference tmdoubtedly is that, even if 
there were exceptions, teaching was not an 
ordinarj- part of the deacon's duties. Some 
of the ' seven, however, certamly joined 
teaching with the more secular "daily 
ministration." And though Paul does not 
affirm that it was part of a deacon's duty, 
his words constitute no proof that it was 
not. It has been questioned whether the 
diaconate was originally a step to a higher 
ecclesiastical office ; and different interpre- 
tations have been given of 1 Tim. 3 : 13. It 
seems natural to understand that the honor 
there mentioned was gained in the position 
of deacon, and not in promotion to another 
office. Generallyspeaking, too, permanence 



DEACONESS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



DESERT 



in the diaconate seems to have been the 
rule in primitive times. 

Deaconess. Mention is made, Rom, 16 : 
1, of a "servant" (Greek diakona) of the 
church of Cenchrea ; and notices are scat- 
tered through several of Paul's epistles of 
women who were engaged in Christian 
ministrations. Rom. 16 : 3, 12 ; Phil. 4 : 2, 
3 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 11 ; 5 : 9, 10 ; Tit. 2 3, 4. If 
these texts do not refer to a distinct class, 
they seem to indicate the beginnings of 
such a class. And it is certain that, a few 
years later, deaconesses were a recognized 
body. Pliny, in his famous letter to Tra- 
jan, Ub. 10, ep. 97, speaks of two whom he 
put to the torture, in order to extract in- 
formation from them respecting the Chris- 
tians ; and ecclesiastical writers from a very 
early date frequently refer to them. 

Debir (de'bir), a sanctuary. The name 
of three places in Palestine. 1. A town in 
the mountains of Judah, Josh. 15 : 49, one 
of a group of eleven cities to the west of 
Hebron. The earher name of Debir was 
Kirjath-sepher, " city of book," Josh. 15 : 
15; Judg. 1:11, and Kirjath-sannah, "city 
of palm," Josh. 15 : 49. It was one of the 
cities given with their " suburbs " to the 
priests. Josh. 21 : 15 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 58. Debir 
has not been discovered with certainly in 
modern times. 2. A town east of the Jor- 
dan, on the northern border of Gad, and 
not far from Mahanaim. Josh. 13:26. Some 
suppose it to be the same with Lodebar. 

3. A place on the northern border of Ju- 
dah, behind Jericho. Some connect it with 
the wady Labor, which falls into the north- 
west corner of the Dead Sea. Josh. 15 : 7. 

4. One of the five kings hanged by Joshua. 
Josh. 10 : -6, 23, 26. 

Deborah (da'o-ra/i), a 5ee. 1. The nurse 
of Rebekah, and her companion into Ca- 
naan. Gen. 24 : 59. She was buried at 
Bethel, under the " oak of weeping." Gen. 
35 : 8. Nurses held an honorable place in 
early times in the East, where they were 
important members of the family. 2 Kings 
11 : 2 ; 2 Chron. 22 : 11. 2. A prophetess, the 
wife of Lapidoth, who judged Israel. She 
dwelt under, i. e., had a tent pitched be- 
neath, a noted tree ; a palm tree it is called, 
and may have been at Baal-tamar, Judg. 
20 ; 33, or not far distant from the tree un- 
der which the first Deborah was buried. 
Deborah incited Barak to deliver his peo- 

§le from the oppression of Jabin ; at his 
esire accoinpamed him, though with a 
rebuke, and after the victory uttered a tri- 
umphal song of praise. Judg. 4 : 5. 

Decapolis {de-kdp'o-lis), ten cities. A re- 
gion noticed three times in the Bible. Matt. 
4 : 25 ; Mark 5 : 20 ; 7 : 31. It lay near the 
Sea of Gahlee, probably on both sides of 
the Jordan. The cities were rebuilt by the 
Romans about b. c. 65 ; but as other cities 
grew up, writers are not agreed as to the 
names of the ten cities. Pliny gives them 
as follows: Scythopohs, Hippos, Gadara, 
Pella, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Dion, Canatha, 
Raphana, Damascus. Six are deserted, and 
none have many inhabitants except Da- 
mascus. 
Dedan (de'dan). 1, A grandson of Cush, 
5 



Gen. 10 : 7, and the name of a people, with 
a region of hke name. 1 Chron. 1 : 9. De- 
dan is thought to be the same as Daden, an 
island of the Persian Gulf; the inhabitants 
were noted merchants, Ezek. 27 : 15 ; 38 : 
13. 2. A people of northern Arabia, de- 
scended from Dedan, a descendant of Abra- 
ham and Keturah. Gen. 25 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 
32 ; Jer. 49 : 8 : 25 : 23 ; Ezek, 25 : 13. The 
descendants of this Dedan Uved near Idu- 
maea. Jer. 49 : 8. It is not certain, but 
probable that the Cushite tribe engaged 
more extensively in trade. The " travel- 
hng companies" of Dedanim, A. V. plu- 
ral of Dedan, R. V. " Dedanites," are no- 
ticed in Isa. 21 : 13. They are also named 
with the merchants of Tarshish byEzekiel, 
38 : 13, and were celebrated from their trade 
with the Phoenicians. 

Degrees, Songs of. Fifteen psalms, 
120-134, are so entitled. A variety of rea- 
sons has been suggested to account for 
this. The Jews believe that they were sung 
by the Levites on the fifteen steps which 
separated the men' s court from the wo- 
men's in the temple. Gesenius suggested 
that there was a progression in the thought 
and phraseology : the last member of a 
verse or part of it being taken up, repeated, 
and amphfied in the next verse, thus : 

" I will hft up mine eyes unto the hills, 
From whence cometh my help. 
My help cometh from the Lord, 
Which made heaven and earth." 

— Ps. 121 : 1, 2. 
But this structure cannot be detected in all 
of them. Hengstenber^ and others beheve 
that they were "pilgrim-songs," chanted 
by those who went up to J erusalem at the 
solemn feasts. 

Delilali {de-Wlah, or deVi-lah), pining with 
desire. A harlot of the valley of Sorek, in 
the tribe of Judah, and near the borders Of 
the Philistines, with whom Samson asso- 
ciated and who betrayed him. Judg, 16 : 
4-18. See Samson. 

D e m a s (de'mas). Probably contracted 
from Demetrius. A companion of Paul dur- 
ing his first imprisonment at Rome. Col, 4 : 
14 ; Philem. 24. The mournful note is sub- 
sequently made that he had forsaken the 
apostle, " having loved this present world." 
2 Tim. 4 : 10. Whether this meant actual 
apostasy we know not. 

Demetrius (de-me'tri-ils), belonging to De- 
meter or Ceres. 1. A maker of silver shrines 
— models of the great temple — of Diana or 
Artemis at Ephesus. Acts 19 : 24. 2. A 
Christian mentioned with commendation 
by John. 3 John 12. 

Derbe {der'he). A city of Lycaonia, 
Acts 14 : 6, 20 ; 16 : 1, about 20 miles from 
Lystra. Kiepert places it near Lake Ak- 
Ghieul, but some modern missionaries place 
it at DivU, several miles farther south. 

Desert. In the Scriptures tliis term does 
not mean an utterly barren waste, but an 
uninhabited region. The Hebrew words 
translated in the English Versions by 
"desert" often denote definite localities. 
1, Ardbah. This refers to that very de- 
pressed region— the deepest valley in the 
world— the sunken valley north and south 

69 



DEUTERONOMY 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



DIAL 



of the Dead Sea, but more particularly the 
former. Arabah in the sense of the Jordan 
valley is translated by the word "desert" 
only in Ezek. 47 : 8 A. V. The E. V. reads 
Arabah. 2. Midbar. This Hebrew word, fre- 
quently rendered "desert," R. V. "wilder- 
ness," is accurately "the pasture ground." 
It is most frequently used for those tracts 
of waste land which he beyond the culti- 
vated ground in the immediate neighbor- 
hood ot the towns and villages of Pale^ine. 
Ex. 3 : 1 ; 5 : 3 ; 19 : 2. 3. Charbah appears 
to mean dryness, and thence desolation. It 
is rendered "desert "in Ps. 102:6, R. V. 
" waste places," Isa. 48 : 21 ; Ezek. 13 : 4, R. 
V. "waste places." The term commonly 
employed for it in the Authorized Version 
is " waste places " or " desolation." 4. Jesh- 
imon, with the definite article, apparently 
denotes the waste regions on both sides of 
the Dead Sea. In all these cases it is treated 
as a proper name in the Authorized Ver- 
sion. Without the article it occurs in a few 
passages of poetry, in the following of 
which it is rendered " desert : " Ps. 78 : 40 ; 
106 : 14 ; Isa. 43 : 19, 20. 

Deuteronomy {deu'ter-dn'o-my), or the 
Second Law (so called from its repeating 
the law), is the fifth book of the Bible, and, 
except the last chapter, was probably writ- 
ten by Moses. Deut. 1 : 5, comp. with Deut. 
34:1; 2 Chron. 25 : 4 ; Dan. 9:13; Mark 12: 
19 ; Acts 3 : 22. This book contains three ad- 
dresses of Moses to the Israehtes in the 
plain of Moab in the 11th month of the 
40th year of their joumeyings. The first 
address, 1 : 1 — i : 40, is a brief rehearsal of 
the history of the " Wandering," and plea 
to obedience. The second address, 5 : 1 — 26 : 
19, contains a recapitulation, with a few 
additions and alterations, of the law given 
on Sinai. The third part of Deuteronomy, 
27 : 1 — 30 : 20, opens with the joint command 
ofMoses and the elders to keep all the com- 
mandments, and, when they had crossed 
the Jordan, to write them upon the great 
plastered stones they were ordered to set 
up with appropriate ceremonies. Then fol- 
lows the third address, 27 : 11—30 : 20, whose 
topic is, " The blessing and the curse. ' * After 
these three addresses, in chapter 31 there 
follows the deUvery of the laAv to Joshua 
and Moses' speech on the occasion, con- 
taining a command to read the law every 
seven years. In chapter 32 we have the 
song of Moses ; in chapter 33 Moses' bless- 
ing of the twelve tribes. These were the 
last written words of Moses, and most beau- 
tifully do they set forth the majesty of God 
and the excellency of Israel. The final 
verses of the book give an account of the 
death of Moses, and were, of course, writ- 
ten by another hand. 

Devil, slanderer. A name given to the 
greatest of evil spirits. He is so called 34 
times in the Scriptures. He is called Satan 
39 times ; BeelzebuB, the prince of the de- 
mons, 7 times. Matt. 12 : 24. He is called 
the angel of the bottomless pit, Abaddon, 
in Hebrew; ApoUyon, in Greek; that is, 
destroyer, Rev. 9 : 11 ; adversary, 1 Pet. 5 : 
8 ; accuser. Rev. 12 : 10 ; Behal, Judg. 19 : 
22 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 15 ; deceiver, Rev. 12 : 9, R. V. ; 

70 



dragon, Rev. 12:7; 20:2; the god of this 
world, 2 Cor. 4:4; the evil one, from 
whom, in the Lord's prayer, we are to pray 
to be delivered. Matt. 6 : 13 ; 13 : 19, 38*; 
Luke 11 : 4, A. V. ; Eph. 6 : 16 ; 1 John 2 : 13, 
14 ; 3 : 10, 12 ; har, John 8 : 44 ; Lucifer, Isa. 
14:12, A. v., but R. V. reads day star; 
murderer, John 8 : 44 ; prince of the power 
of the air, Eph. 2:2; prince of this world, 
John 12 : 31 ; serpent. Gen. 3:1-4; Rev. 12 : 
9 ; 20 : 2 ; a sinner from the beginning, 1 
John 3:8. From the beginning of the 
world the devil has had a hand, and some- 
times a controlhng one, in the most impor- 
tant events in the history of man. He 
tempted Eve, Gen. 3:1; he tried Job, Job 
1:7; provoked David to number Israel, 1 
Chron. 21 : 1 ; he tempted our Lord in the 
wilderness, Matt. 4: 1; he "entered into 
Judas," Luke 22 : 3 ; he is the deceiver which 
deceiveth the whole world. Rev. 12 : 9, etc. 
" He that committeth sin is of the devil : 
for the devil sinneth from the beginning. 
For this purpose was the Son of God mani- 
fested, that he might destroy the works of 
the devil." 1 John 3 : 8. The time is com- 
ing, and may be near at hand, when 
"the dragon, that old serpent, which is the 
devil and Satan," shall be bound for a thou- 
sand years, "that he should deceive the 
nations no more till the thousand years 
should be fulfilled ; and after that he must 
be loosed a little season." Rev. 20 : 2. " And 
when the thousand years are expired, Satan 
shall be loosed out of his prison and shall 
go out to deceive the nations." Rev. 20 : 7. 
The fall and punishment of the devil is 
recorded. JSIatt. 25 : 41 ; Luke 10 : 18 ; John 
8 :44 ; 2 Pet. 2 :4 ; 1 John 3:8; Jude 6 ; Rev. 
20 : 10. The word devil is sometimes ap- 
phed to a very wicked man or woman. 
John 6 : 70 ; Acts 13 : 10 ; and in the Greek 
of 2 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 2 : 3, where the A. V. 
reads " false accusers." 

Devils, Demons. Although there is 
only one being known as the devil, the 
EngUsh version of the Scriptures often uses 
the words devil and devils, where it should 
read demon and demons. The words in 
the original Greek are different from the 
word used when the devil is referred to. 
Frequent accounts are given of persons pos- 
sessed by demons, and of our Lord casting 
out demons. They are evil spirits plainly 
distinguished from the persons whom they 
possess, sometimes a number of them en- 
tering into a person. Luke 8:2; 8 : 30. 
They can go out of persons and can enter 
into swine. Matt. 8 : 31 ; Ivlark 5 : 11-13. They 
have a separate consciousness ; they know 
the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 4 : 41 : 8 : 28, 
and are addressed by Christ as personal be- 
ings, Mark 1 : 24 ; 5:9; and they are look- 
ing forward to the day of judgment, to them 
the day of torment. Matt. 8 : 29 ; James 2 : 
19. As frequent accounts are given, in the 
Old Testament and in the New, of the devil 
and of demons entering into persons, there 
is no reason to doubt that they do so 
now. 

Dial. It was on the " dial of Ahaz " that 
the miraculous sign given to Hezekiah for 
his recovery from sickness showed itself. 2 



DIAMOND 



OF THE BIBLE. 



DIVINATION 



Kings 20 : 8-11 ; Isa. 38 : 7, 8. It is uncertain 
what the " dial " of Ahaz was. The word so 
translated is elsewhere rendered " degrees," 
" steps," e. g., Ex. 20 : 26. Some have imag- 
ined it a hemispherical cavity in a horizon- 
tal square stone, provided with a gnomon 
or index in the middle, the shadow of 
which fell on different lines cut in the hol- 
low surface ; some think that it was a ver- 
tical index surrounded by twelve concen- 
tric circles ; while some, with perhaps 
greater probability, believe it an obeUsk- 
like pillar, set up in an open elevated place, 
with encirchng steps, on which the shad-. 
ow fell. Ahaz appears to have had a taste 
for curious things, 2 Kings 16 : 10, and might 
have borrowed this dial from Assyria. The 
inquiry from Babylon in regard to it would 
seem to implv that the miracle was heard 
of, but not witnessed there. 2 Chron. 32 : 
31. 

Diamond. One of the gems in the high 
priest's breastplate is so called in our ver- 
sion. Ex. 28 : 18 ; 39 : 11. The same word 
also occurs in reference to the king of Tyre. 
Ezek. 28 : 13. It was doubtless some hard 
stone ; for the original Hebrew term imphes 
striking. But it is questionable whether, 
in the early ages of the world, the art of 
cutting and engraving the diamond was 
understood. It is, therefore, more gener- 
ally supposed that an onyx or some other 
hard crystal is here meant. 

Diana {dl-d'nah, or di-dn'ah) ; Greek, Ar- 
temis. A heathen goddess of the Romans 
and Greeks, of great renown. The Diana 
of Ephesus was a diflPerent deity from the 
chaste huntress of the Greeks. She was 
like the Sidonian goddess Ashtoreth, and 
appears to have been worshipped with im- 
pure rites and magical mysteries. Acts 19 : 
19. Her image, which was reputed to have 
fallen down from Jupiter, seems to have 
been a block of wood shaped into a female 
bust above covered with many breasts, the 
head crowned with turrets, and each hand 
resting on a staff. The temple of this god- 
dess was the pride and glory of Ephesus, 
and one of the seven wonders of the world. 
It was 425 feet long, and 220 broad, and had 
127 graceful Ionic columns of white marble, 
each 60 feet high, and the temple was 220 
years in building. When Alexander the 
Great was born, b. c. 35G, an earUer temple 
was burned down by one Herostratus, 
in order to immortalize his name : the 
splendid one above described had been re- 
built in its place. Compare 1 Cor. 3 : 9-17, 
written in Ephesus ; and Eph. 2 : 19-22. The 
" silver shrines for Diana," made by Deme- 
trius and others, were probably little mod- 
els of the temple sold for amulets and house- 
hold use. Ancient coins of Ephesus repre- 
sent the shrine and statue of Diana, with a 
Greek inscription, "of theEphesians." Acts 
19 : 28, 34, 35. Others bear the words which 
Luke employs, translated "deputy" and 
" worshipper " of Diana. In her temple at 
Ephesus were stored immense treasures, 
and any preaching that tended to lower 
the shrine in the minds of the people, as 
Paul's did, would naturally arouse a great 
tumult. 



Dibon {dl'hon), wasting. The name of 
two towns. 1. Dibon in Moab. Num. 21 : 
30 ; Isa. 15 : 2. It was built by Gad, Num. 
32 : 34, and hence called Dibon-gad ; was 
assigned to Reuben, Josh. 13 : 9, 17 ; was 
also called Dimon. Isa. 15 : 9. It afterward 
returned to Moab, Isa. 15 : 2 ; Jer. 48 : 18, 22 ; 
now called Dhiban, about 12 miles east of 
the Dead Sea and 3 miles north of the 
Arnon. Its ruins are extensive, covering 
the tops of two adjacent hills. See Moab. 
2. A town in the south of Judah, Neh. 11 : 
25 ; the same as Dimonah, Josh. 15 : 22, and 
probably modern ed-Dheib. 

Dinah {d'l'nah), judged, acquitted, or 
avenged. The daughter of Jacob and Leah. 
Gen. 30 : 21. The history of her visiting 
the daughters of the heathen inhabitants 
of the land, of her defilement by Shechem, 
and of the treacherous and bloody revenge 
taken by her brothers Simeon and Levi, 
are recorded in Gen. 34. Nothing more is 
certainly known of her ; she probably ac- 
companied her family into Egypt. Gen. 
46 : 15. 

Dionysius {dVo-nish'i-us), belonging to 
Dionysus, or Bacchus. An eminent Athe- 
nian, converted by means of Paul's preach- 
ing. Acts 17 : 34. Tradition reports him 
to have been bishop of Athens, and to have 
suflered martyrdom there. 

Diotrephes {dl'ot're-fez), Jove-nourished. 
A professed Christian, who resisted the au- 
thority of John. 3 John 9. His place of 
residence is unknown. 

Dispersion, Jews of the. The "dis- 
persed," or the "dispersion," was the term 
appUed to those Jews who continued in 
other countries after the return from Baby- 
lon. Babylon thus became a centre from 
which offshoots spread; and colonies of 
Jews established themselves in Persia, Me- 
dia, and other neighboring countries. The 
result of Greek conquest was to draw off 
Jewish settlers to the west. Hence they 
were found in the cities of Asia Minor, en- 
joying privileges from the Syrian kings. 
Settlements were also formed in Egypt, ex- 
tending themselves along the northern 
coasts, and possibly also into the interior. 
See Jas. 1 : 1 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 1. And, after the 
capture of Jerusalem by Pompey, Jews were 
introduced at Rome. The dispersed, how- 
ever, all looked to Jerusalem as the metrop- 
olis of their faith ; they paid the legal half- 
shekel towards the temple services : they 
had with them everywhere their sacred 
book, which thus became known to the 
Gentiles, Acts 15 : 21 ; while a wholesome 
influence was perceptible on themselves. 

Divination is the profession of fore- 
telhng future events. Deut. 18 : 10. Various 
modes of doing this have been resorted to 
in different nations. Thus Joseph's cup 
was used in this art. Gen. 44 : 5. The 
Egyptian magicians used to practise divina- 
tion: so did the Chaldseans at Babylon. 
Divination was practised among the Greeks. 
The appearance of the sky and of the hea- 
venly signs, the flight and song of birds, the 
phenomena presented by the entrails of 
victims, etc., were supposed to prognosticate 
events ; and, according to these prognosti- 

71 



DIVORCE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



DRAGON 



cations, public as well as private actions 
were regulated. The Romans were equally 
zealous in divining. The hold that such 
practices had upon the public mind was 
very strong. We need the less wonder at 
it when we notice the eagerness with which, 
even now, persons will resort to a specious 
fortune-teller. There is frequent mention 
of diviners in Scripture ; and the Hebrews 
are repeatedly warned against the preten- 
sions of those who aflected to foretell 
events. 

Divorce. A dissolution of the marriage 
relation. The law on this subject is found 
in Deut. 24 : 1-4, and the cases in which the 
right of a husband to divorce his wife was 
lost are stated in Deut. 22:19, 29. The 
ground of divorce is a point on which the 
Jewish doctors of the New Testament era 
differed widely ; the school of Shammai 
seeming to limit it to a moral delinquency 
in the woman, whilst that of Hillel ex- 
tended it to trifling causes, e. g., if the wife 
burnt the food she was cooking for her 
husband. The Pharisees wished perhaps 
to entangle our Saviour with these ques- 
tions in their rival schools, Matt. 19 : 3 ; but 
by his answer to them, as well as by his 
previous maxim, Matt. 5 : 31, 32, he declares 
that he regarded all the lesser causes than 
"fornication" as standing on too weak 
ground, and set forth adultery as the 
proper ground of divorce, Matt. 5 : 32 ; 19 : 9 ; 
Mark 10 : 11, 12 ; Luke 16 : 18. 

Doctor. See liawyer, Teacher. 

Doeg (do' eg), Jearjul. An Edomite, the 
chief of Saul's herdsmen, " detained before 
the Lord," probably by a vow, or because 
it was the sabbath, when David fled to 
Nob. 1 Sam. 21 : 7. Doeg afterwards falsely 
accused Ahimelech, the high priest, to Saul ; 
and, when none of the king's guard would 
execute the ferocious sentence to slay the 
priests of the Lord, he fell upon them and 
killed 80 persons, sacking also their city. 
1 Sam. 22 : 9-19 ; Ps. 52, title. 

Dos. This well-known animal is fre- 
quently mentioned in the Bible. But, 
though it was employed to watch the 
flocks. Job 30 : 1, and to guard the house, 
Isa. 56 : 10, it was by no means regarded as 
we regard it, the companion and friend of 
man, but was an unclean animal under 
Jewish law and regarded with contempt. 
Ex. 22 : 31 ; Deut. 23 : 18 ; 1 Sam. 17 : 43 ; 24 : 
14. Dogs were scavengers, half wild, prowl- 
ing about the fields and the towns, devour- 
ing offal and dead bodies, and disturbing 
the night with their howUngs. This is the 
case now in the east; troops of dogs 
abounding, recognized in a degree by food 
and water being occasionally given them, 
and, according to the instincts of their 
nature, guarding the place where they con- 
gregate, but deemed impure and unclean, 
just as among the ancient Hebrews. Hence 
we can understand the comparison of sav- 
age and cruel men to dogs, Ps. 22 : 16 ; Phil. 
3 : 2, and the contempt and dishke attached 
to the name of a dog. 1 Sam. 24 : 14 ; 2 Sam. 
3:8; 9:8. Solomon contrasts a living dog 
with a dead lion, Eccl. 9 : 4, and Abner ex- 
claims : " Am I a dog's bead ? " 2 Sam. 8 ; 8, 
72 



implying that a dog is the meanest thing 
ahve. The same contempt is implied in 
the charge : " He that sacrifices a lamb, . . 
as if he cut off a dog's neck." Isa. 66 : 3. 
In the New Testament it is used to designate 
vile persons who are shut out of heaven. 
Rev. 22 : 15, and foolish persons devoted to 
their folly. 2 Pet. 2 : 22. To the present 
day the word is applied by Jews to Gen- 
tiles, and by Mohammedans to Christians, 
as a term of reproach. 

Dor {dor), dwelling. A royal city of the 
Canaamtes, Josh. 11:2; 12:23, within the 
territory of Asher, but allotted to Manas- 
seh, Josh. 17 : 11 ; Judg. 1 : 27 ; 1 Chron. 7 : 
29, and it was one of Solomon's provision- 
districts, 1 Kings 4 : 11 ; now Tantiira, eight 
miles north of Csesarea, where there are 
considerable ruins. 

Dorcas {dor'kas), gazette. See Tabitha. 

Dotlian {do'than), two cisterns. "Where 
Joseph found his brethren. Gen. 37 : 17, and 
Elisha resided. 2 Kings 6 : 13. It was on 
the south side of the plain of Jezreel, 12 
miles north of Samaria; now called Tel- 
Dothfin, five miles southwest of Jenin. 
Nmnerous bottled-shaped cisterns hewn in 
the rock are still found, which are sup- 
posed to resemble the " pit " of Gen. 37 : 24, 
Caravans still pass this place, as of old, on 
their way from Damascus to Egypt. 

Dove. A clean bird in the Mosiac law sent 
out by Noah. Gen. 8 : 8, 12. The Hebrew 
word yonah includes the various varieties of 
doves and pigeons found in Palestine, ex- 
cepting turtle-doves, called tor. There are 
very many allusions to this bird, for its 
beauty of plumage, Ps. 68 : 13, its simpleness, 
Hos. 7 : 11, its harmlessness. Matt. 10 : 16, etc., 
so that it even symbolizes the Holy Spirit, 
the meekness, purity, and splendor of 
righteousness. Matt. 3 : 16 ; Mark 1 : 10 ; 
Luke 3 : 22 ; John 1 : 32. Doves are fre- 
quently domesticated in the east. Pigeons 
and turtle-doves might, alone of biros, be 
offered in sacrifice ; full-grown turtle-doves 
in pairs, but only the young of pigeons. 
Lev. 1 : 14 ; 5 : 7, 11 ; 12 : 6-8. They were the 
offering of the poorer classes ; hence made 
by Mary. Luke 2 : 24. And on this ac- 
count it was that those who sold doves es- 
tabhshed themselves in the precincts of the 
temple. Matt. 21 : 12 ; Mark 11 : 15 ; John 2 : 
14-16. 

Dove's Dung. In the siege of Samaria 
by Ben-hadad, a fourth part of a cab of 
dove's dung was sold for five shekels. 2 
Kings 6 : 25. Bochart supposes chick-i)eas 
here meant ; but Keil, without deciding the 
question, produces testimony that excre- 
ment has been used for food in famine, and 
that the literal meaning is not impossible. 
Dr. Thomson considers dove's dung a 
coarse kind of bean. The seeds of millet 
are called " doves' seed " by the Hebrews, 
which favors the bulb or seed of some 
plant. 

Dovrry. See Marriage. 

Dragon. The original word for this in the 
Bible has three meanings. Very commonly, 
where it occurs in connection with ostriches, 
owls, deserts, and ruins, it denotes the 
jackal, whose characteristics are uumistak- 



BUEAM 



OP mE BIBLE. 



BWELLINC 



ably indicated, such as his "wailing" and 
" snuf&ng up the wind." So in Job 30 : 29, 
the R. V. reads "jackals," and also in Ps. 
44 : 19 and Jer. 9 : 11, in which passages 
solitude and desolation are illustrated . The 
same idea is in Micah 1 : 8. In some pas- 
sages it denotes monsters of the deep or 
huge land - reptiles, as in Ps. 91 : 13 ; R. 
V. reads "serpent." In Deut. 32 :c3 it re- 
fers to some poisonous reptile, being used 
in connection with the asp, a poisonous 
snake. The figurative use of this term, as 
in Ps. 74 : 13 ; Ezek. 29 : 3 ; Rev. 12 : 3 and 
20 : 2, is quite obvious. 

Dream. One mode of divine communi- 
cation to the mind of man has been by 
dreams. Num. 12 : 6. While bodily organs 
were asleep and yet the perception active, 
God has sometimes spoken, sometimes in 
the way of direct message, occasionally by 
symbolic representation, for which after- 
wards an interpreter was needed. The 
prophetic dream must be distinguished from 
the prophetic vision. The latter might be 
in the night. Acts 18 : 9 ; 23 : 11 ; 27 : 23 ; but 
the senses were not wrapped up in sleep. 
It was by means of dreams that God com- 
municated with those who were not of his 
covenant people. Gen, 20 : 3-7 ; 31 : 24 ; 40 : 
5 ; 41 : 1-8 ; Judg. 7 : 13 ; Dan. 2 : 1 ; 4 : 5, 10- 
18 ; Matt. 2 : 12 ; 27 : 19. Often, indeed, it 
was by a dream that God spoke to his most 
favored servants. Gen. 15 : 12-16 ; 37 : 5-10 ; 
Matt. 1 : 20, 21. God communicated by a 
dream with Solomon, not only while he 
was young, 1 Kings 3 : 5-15, but also in his 
mature hie. 1 Kings 9 : 2-9. We can only 
say that the Lord acts herein according to 
his good pleasure. The false dreaming of 
a dreamer of dreams, it may be added, was 
censured and to be punished. Deut. 13 : 1-5. 

Drink, Strong. See Wine. 

Dromedary. Isa. 60 : 6. A breed of the 
camel, remarkable for its speed. Jer. 2 : 23. 
It can travel from 60 to 90 miles or more in 
a day. The dromedary is taller and has 
longer limbs than other varieties of camel, 
and cannot as well bear heat or cold. 

Drusilla {dru-sU'lah). Acts 24: 24. The 
young daughter of Herod Agrippa I., and 
sister of Agrippa II. She was first be- 
trothed to Antiochus Epiphanes, prince of 
Commagene ; but, as he refused to become 
a Jew, she was married to Azizus, prince of 
Emesa. Soon after, FeUx, the Roman pro- 
curator, persuaded her, by means of the 
Cyprian sorcerer Simon, to leave her hus- 
band and marry him. Acts 24:24. She 
bore him a son, Agiippa, who perished in 
the eruption of Vesuvius in the reign of 
Titus. 

Dulcimer. A musical instrument simi- 
lar to a bag-pipe hke that in use at the 
present day among the peasants of north- 
western Asia and southern Europe. Dan. 
3 : 5, 10, 15. It was composed of two pipes 
with a leathern sack, and produced a harsh, 
screaming sound. It has no resemblance at 
all to the modem dulcimer. 

Dumali {du'mah) , silence. 1. A son of Ish- 
mael. Gen. 25:14; 1 Chron. 1:30. 2. A 
town in Judah, near Hebron, Josh. 15 : 52 ; 
now §d'J)6meh, ten miles southwest of 



Hebron. 3. A region, perhaps near Mount 
Seir. Isa. 21 : 11. 

Dung. In many countries of the East 
wood is so scarce and dear as to be sold by 
weight. Hence animal excrements are used 
as fuel. Ezek. 4 : 12. It is a very common 
material for heating ovens, even among 
people of comfortable circumstances. The 
odor arising from the use of it is offensive, 
and penetrates the food. 

Dura (du'rah), circle. The place where 
Nebuchadnezzar set up his golden image. 
Dan. 3:1. Layard identifies it with Dur, 
below Tekrit, on the east bank of the Ti- 
gris ; but Oppert would place it, with more 
probability, to the southeast of Babylon, 
near a mound called Duair, where he found 
the pedestal of a colossal statue. 

Dust. To lick the dust, Ps. 72 : 9, signi- 
fies abject submission. To shake the dust 
from the feet, Matt. 10 : 14 ; Luke 10 : 11, 
implies the renouncing of all contact. The 
Pharisees entering Judea from a Gentile 
country were accustomed to shake the 
dust from their feet, as a renunciation of 
Gentile communion. But there was a fur- 
ther meaning ; as Paul's shaking his gar- 
ments. Acts 18 : 6, so shaking off the dust 
was a declaration of being free from the 
blood of those who rejected the gospel-mes- 
sage. The casting of dust on or against a 
person was a form of bitter execration. 2 
Sam. 16 : 13 ; Acts 22 : 23. 

Dwelling. The dwelhngs of the poor 
in oriental lands are generally mere huts 
of mud or sun-burnt bricks. The earliest 
form of human habitation was probably a 
booth, though Cain built a city. Gen. 4 : 
17. The patriarchs were chiefly dwellers 
in tents, a form of habitation invented or 
adopted by Jabal. Gen. 4 : 17-20. Of the 
various forms of dwellings common in 
early times, and alluded to in Scriptures, 
we may mention : 1. The booth. 2. The 
tent. 3. The cave dwellings. 4. The house 
of varied materials — wood, dried mud, 
brick, stone, etc. The fathers of the Is- 
raelitish nation for the most part dwelt in 
tents. They were, in the providence of 
God, pilgrims in a land which should be 
given as a settled home to their posterity ; 
wholesome lessons being thus taught them, 
and their example being to be afterwards 
quoted for the confirmation of the faith of 
the church. Acts 7:4, 5 ; Heb. 11 : 8-10. 
Jacob indeed is said to have "built him a 
house at Succoth," Gen. 33 : 17 ; but the orig- 
inal word so rendered is of vague significa- 
tion, and comprises almost every kind of 
erection, from the humblest hut or even 
tent to the gorgeous palace or sacred temple. 
After leaving Egypt, the Israehtes inhab- 
ited tents in the wilderness ; so that it was 
not till they occupied Canaan that they 
were domiciled in houses properly so called. 
In the cities which they took— the few ex- 
cepted which they were commanded to de- 
stroy — they found houses ready to their 
hand. Deut. 6 : 10, 11 ; Josh. 24 : 13. Some 
of the material of these houses may be still 
existing in the massive dwellings of Ba- 
8han, altered from what they were when 
the victorious tribes took possession of them. 

73 



DWELLING 



PEOPLE'S DICTIOKAPr 



DWELLING 



The Plan. Probably the houses of the 
ancient Israelites differed little from those 
inhabited by modem Syrians. We may 
well, therefore, derive "our illustrations 
of such as are mentioned in the Bible from 
usages of the present day. In some parts 
of Palestine and Arabia stone is used, and 
in certain districts caves in the rocks are 
used as dwellings. Amos 5 : 11. The houses 
are usually of one story only, ^az., the 
ground floor, and often contain, only one 
apartment. Sometimes a small court for 
the cattle is attached ; and in some cases 
the cattle are housed in the same building, 
or the people hve on a raised platform, and 
the cattle round them on the ground. 1 
Sam. 28 : 24. The windows are small aper- 
tures high up in the walls, sometimes grated 
with Avood. The roofs are commonly, but 
not always fiat, and are usually formed 
of a plaster of mud and straw laid upon 
boughs or rafters, or of tiles or flat stones, 
supix)rted by beams of wood. Upon the 
fiat roofs, tents or " booths " of boughs or 
rushes are often raised to be used as sleep- 
ing-places in summer. The difference be- 
tween the i)oorest houses and those of the 
class next above them is gi'eater than be- 
tween these and the houses of the first 
rank. The materials of the better class of 
houses were stone, marble, and other costly 
kinds, perhaps, porphyry, basalt, etc., 1 
Chron. 29:2, carefully 'squared, panelled, 
and fitted, Amos 5 ; 11, cemented in Baby- 
lonia with bitumen, Gen. 11 : 3, with clay, 
or mortar composed of hme, ashes, arid 
sand, straw being sometimes added. Infe- 
rior materials, and want of proper mixing, 
would make this mortar hable to crumble, 
Ezek. 13 : 10-15, in rainj' weather. Some- 
times stones were fastened together with 
iron clamps or lead. Bricks, kiln-burnt, 
were probably also used. Other materials 
were timber, such as cedar, shittim (aca- 
cia), sj'camore, ohve, and in palaces algum 
and cvpress. Ex. 26 : 15 ; 1 Kings 6 : 15, 16, 
32-84 ;'7 : 8, 12 ; 10 : 12 ; Isa. 9 : 10. The pre- 
cious metals and i-sorj- were also employed 
for overlaving woodwork, etc., 1 Kings 6 : 
35 ; 22 : 39 ;" Amos 3 : 15. 

A modem eastern house of the better 
class presents a dead wall to the street, with 
an interior court. There is a low en- 
trance door with an inscription from the 
Koran, and over it a latticed window, or 
kiosk, sometimes projecting like our an- 
tique bay-windows ; there may be also a 
few other small latticed windows high up 
in the wall. A passage from the outer door, 
which is attended to bv the porter, John 
18 : 16, 17 ; Acts 12 : 13, 14, leads into the first 
or outer court, but is so contrived that the 
entrance to the court is not exactly opposite 
to the external door ; so that no view of the 
court is obtained from the street, nor any 
of the street from the court. The principal 
apartment looks into this court, and some 
of them are open to it. The court is 
occasionally shaded by an awning; and 
on the floor or pavement of it, ru^ are 
spread on festive occasions ; while in the 
centre there is often a fountain. Around 
the court, or part of it, a veranda runs, 

74 



and over this, when the house has more 
than one story, there is often another bal- 
ustraded galler\\ In the corner of the 
coun are tlae stairs to the upper apartments. 
Immediately opposite the side of entrance 
is the principal reception room, open to the 
court. It has a raised terrace or platform, 
and is richly fitted up with sofas (the divan) 
round three sides, and probably with a 
fountain in the centre. Here the master 
of the house receives his visitors, his place 
being the corner of the divan, and each 
person taking off his shoes before he steps 
upon the raised portion of the apartment. 
When there is no second iioor, but more 
than one court, the women's apartments — 
hdreera, harem or harani — are usually in the 
second court ; other^vise they form a sep- 
arate building within the general enclosure, 
or are above on the first fioor. When there 
is an upper story, the most important apart- 
ment answers to the upper room, which 
was often the guest chamber. Luke 22 : 
12 ; Acts 1 : 13 ; 9 : 37 ; 20 : 8. 

The urndows of the upper rooms often 
project one or two feet, and form a latticed 
chamber. See " the chamber in the wall." 
2 Kings 4:10, 11. The "lattice" through 
M'hich Ahazlah fell perhaps belonged to 
an uppter chamber of this kind, 2 Kings 1 : 
2, as also the "third story," from which 
Eutychus fell. Acts 20 :9'; comp. Jer. 22 : 
13. Paul preached in such a room on ac- 
count of its superior size and retired posi- 
tion. The outer circle in an audience in 
such a room sat upon a dais, or uix)n cush- 
ions elevated so as to be as high as the 
window-sill. From such a position Euty- 
chus could easily fall. There are usually 
no rooms specially for sleeping in eastern 
houses. The outer doors are closed with a 
wooden lock, but in some cases the apart- 
ments are divided from each other by cur- 
tains only. There are no chimneys, but 
fire is ma'de when required with charcoal 
in a brazier, or a fire of wood might be kin- 
dled In the open court of the house. Luke 
22 : 55. It was in a house built after this 
manner, probably, that our Lord was ar- 
raigned before the high priest at the time 
when the denial of him by Peter took 
place. He "turned and looked" on Peter 
as he stood by the fire in the court, Luke 22 : 
56, 61 ; whilst he himself was in the "hall 
of judgment." 

In oriental dwelhngs, the roof is an 
important part. Its flat surface is made 
useful for various household purposes, as 
drj-ing corn, hanging up hnen and pre- 
paring figs and raisins. In forming the 
roof, twigs, matting, and earth are laid 
upon the rafters, trodden down and cov- 
ered with a compost, hard when it is drj^ 
But it is necessary carefully to roll it after 
rain. On such roofs weeds often grow, but 
are speedily dried up and wither. Ps. 129 : 
6, 7 ; Isa. 37 : 27. These roofs were to be 
carefully protected by a battlement or par- 
apet, lest accidents should occur. Deut. 
22 : 8. This towards the street is a wall, to- 
wards the interior court usually a balus- 
trade. It may have been through this that 
Ahazlah felL 2 Kings 1 : 2. The roof is 



DWELLING 



OF THE BIBLE. 



EARING, EARING TIME 



reached by an external staircase, so that it 
Is not necessary to go through any of the 
rooms in ascending or descending. Matt. 
24 : 17. Many uses were and are made of 
these roof platforms. Linen and other arti- 
cles were spread there to dry. Josh. 2:6. 
They were places of private conference, of 
recreation, and for sleeping. 1 Sam. 9 : 25, 
26; 2 Sam. 11:2; 16:22; Job 27:18; Prov. 
21 : 9 ; booths were erected there at the feast 
of tabernacles, Neh. 8 : 16, and tents, 2 Sam. 
16 : 22. In .times of pubhc calamity, lamen- 
tations were uttered there. Isa. 15 : 3 ; 22 : 
1 ; Jer. 48 : 38. There, too, was private 
prayer made, and sometimes idolatrous rites 
performed. 2 Kings 23 : 12 ; Jer. 19 : 13 ; 32 : 
29 ; Zeph. 1:5; Acts 10 : 9. 

Added particulars. Ceihngs were made 
of cedar, and artistically colored. Jer. 
22 : 14, 15 ; Hag. 1 : 4. There were no chim- 
neys ; that so called, Hos. 13 : 3, was but 
a hole ; indeed there were ordinarily no 
fires except in a kitchen, where, on a 
kind of brick platform, places were pro- 
vided for cooking. Apartments were 
warmed when needed by lire-pans, Jer. 36 : 
22 ; or fires were kindled in the court, Mark 
14 : 54 ; Luke 22 : 55 ; John 18 : 18. Different 
rooms, too, as already mentioned in modern 
practice, were used 'in summer-time and in 
winter-time, Amos 3 : 15 ; and, whereas 
those for use in warm weather were open 
to the court, those for colder seasons were 
closed in with lattice-work, and curtains, 
and, probably for want of glass in the win- 
dows, with shutters. There were no rooms 
specially appropriated as bedrooms : just as 
it is common at the present day to sleep on 
the div^n in the ordinary apartments. 
Hence the assassins would have easier ac- 
cess to Ish-bosheth. 2 Sam. 4 : 5-7. The 
various notices we meet with in Scripture 
will be easily understood if the previous 
descriptions be borne in mind. The cham- 
ber on the wall designed for Elisha, 2 Kings 
4 : 10, was probably the room over the gate, 
with the projecting window. Perhaps, also, 
the summer parlor where Ehud found Eg- 
lon, Judg. 3 : 20, was the same. The " guest 
chamber," where our Lord commanded his 
disciples to prepare for the last supper, 
Luke 22 : 11, 12, was one of the large re- 
ception rooms in an upper story. The " up- 
per room," where the disciples assembled 
after the ascension. Acts 1 : 13, was similar 
to the "guest chamber" mentioned above. 
The circumstances attending the cure 
of the paralytic, Mark 2 : 2-4 ; Luke 5 : 18, 19, 
may thus be explained. Our Lord was 
perhaps in the veranda ; while the people 
crowded the court and impeded the pass- 
age from the street. The bearers, there- 
fore, went to the roof, and taking away 
part of the covering of the veranda, let 
the sick man down. 

There were also houses constructed with 
particular reference to the seasons. Sum- 
mer houses were built partly under ground, 
and paved with marble. The fountains 
which gush out in the courts, and the 
methods used for excluding heat, and 
securing currents of fresh air render modern 
eastern houses very refreshing in the tor- 



rid heat of summer. The ivory house of 
Ahab was probably a palace largely orna- 
mented with inlaid ivory. The circum- 
stance of Samson's pulling down the house 
by means of the pillars may be explained 
by the fact of the company being assem- 
bled on tiers of balconies above each other, 
supported by central pillars on the base- 
ment ; when these were pulled down the 
whole of the upper floors would fall also. 
Judg. 16 : 26. It may be added that, when 
a man had built a house and had not dedi- 
cated it, he was free from military service. 
Deut. 20 : 5. The use of the word in such 
passages as Ex. 2 : 21 ; 1 Sam. 3 : 12 ; 2 Sam. 
3 ; 1 ; 7 : 11 ; Ezek. 2 : 5, is easily understood. 
Dyeing. The art of coloring fabrics, and 
the threads forming them, was known in 
early times. The ancient Egyptians ex- 
celled in the brilhancy of their dyed fab- 
rics; and from them the Hebrews, while 
dwelling among them, probably learnt the 
art of dyeing. The Phoenicians, Greeks and 
Romans had much skill in this art also. 
We read of the scarlet thread at the birth 
of Zarah, Gen. 38 : 28, 30, and of the colored 
or dyed curtains of the tabernacle and the 
sacerdotal robes which were manufactured 
in the desert. Ex. 26 : 1, 14 ; 28 : 5-8. The 
chemical skill of the Egyptian linen man- 
ufacturers in employing the metallic oxides 
and acids or mordants, is placed beyond 
dispute by ocular proof. The various pro- 
cesses of dyeing and printing, or imparting 
the pattern, by blocks — the origin of calico 
printing — are exhibited on the monuments 
in all their minute details. Even the print- 
ing blocks, engraved with phonetic letters, 
and with the dye upon them, may be now 
seen in the British Museum. The purple 
dyes were highly valued and in great re- 
pute. Lydia was a seller of this famous 
purple. Acts 16 : 14, made probably from a 
dye procured from a shellfish of the sea. 
It still abounds in the Red Sea. 

Eagle (Heb. nesher; a tearer with the 
beak). There can be little doubt that the 
eagle of Scripture is the griffon ( Gypsfulvus), 
or great A^ulture, see margin of the R. V., 
Lev. 11 : 13, a bird very abundant in Pales- 
tine and adjacent countries. In spite of 
its name, it is a much nobler bird than a 
common vulture, and is scarcely more of a 
carrion-feeder than are all eagles. Indeed, 
the griffon is used by the orientals as the 
type of the lordly and the great. This well- 
known bird of prey was unclean by the 
Levitical law. Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12. 
It is called the "great vulture" in the 
margin of the R. V. The habits of the 
eagle are described in Num. 24 : 21 ; Job 9 : 
26 ; 39 : 27-30 ; Prov. 23 : 5 ; 30 : 17, 19 ; Jer. 
49 : 16 ; Ezek. 17 : 3 ; Ob. 4 ; Hab. 1:8; 2:9; 
Matt. 24 : 28 ; Luke 17 : 37. 

Earing, Earing-time. Gen. 45 : 6 ; Ex. 
34:21. R. v., "plowing." Earing is an 
old Enghsh word for plowing. The same 
word is used, Ps. 129 : 3, and is translated 
plowed. What we call arable land is 
sometimes called "earable" land; R. V., 

75 



EARNEST 



PEOPLE'S DlCTtONAPY 



EBUEI 



" plowed." Deut. 21 : 4 ; 1 Sam. 8 : 12 ; and 
Isa. 30 : 24, where the R. V. reads " till." 

Earnest. Something give» as a pledge 
for the performance of a specified bargain. 
Gen. 38:17; R. V., "pledge." It must be 
observed that the earnest, properly speak- 
ing, is a part of the whole to be granted ; 
what remains, therefore, and is expected, is 
similar in kind to that already received. 
Thus, the earnest of the Spirit (the Spirit 
itself being the earnest) is that measure of 
grace vouchsafed here which shall be aug- 
mented and ripened into the fulness of 
grace hereafter. 2 Cor. 1 : 22 ; 5:5; Eph. 1 : 
13, 14. 

Earring. Earrings were usually worn 
by the Hebrew women, and by the children 
of both sexes, Ex. 32 : 2 ; more rarely by the 
men. Asiatic males have, in both ancient 
and modern times, worn earrings ; and the 
presumption is that the male Hebrews 
would observe the same custom. The orig- 
inal word generally translated "earring" 
is ambiguous, and niay signify an ornament 
for the ear or for the nose. In Gen. 35 : 4 ; 
Ex. 32 : 2, it is so qualified as to mean clearly 
an earring. In Gen. 24 : 47 ; Pro v. 11 : 22 ; 
Isa. 3 : 21 ; Ezek. 16 : 12, it is as clearly a nose- 
jewel ; while in Judg. 8 : 24, 25 ; Job 42 : 11 ; 
Prov. 25 : 12 ; Hos. 2 : 13, it is uncertain. 

Earth. Ps. 24 : 1. Besides the ordinary 
acceptation of the word, as in the passage 
cited, it is used by the sacred writers to de- 
note only a particular country. Thus, the 
phrase, Ezra 1:2, "all the kingdoms of the 
earth," means only Chaldea and Assyria; 
and it is often restricted to Judaea only. 

Easter, Acts 12 : 4 (originally the festi- 
val of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eastre), is a 
mistranslation. It should be, as in the 
Greek, translated, Passover; the Jewish 
feast. It is so translated in the R. V. 

Eat, Eating. See Meals. 

Ebai (e'bal), stone, atony. One of the two 
mountains by which Israel stood re- 
ceiving blessings and cursings. Deut. 11 : 
29 ; 27 : 4 ; Josh. 8 : 30-35. Ebal and Gerizim 
are opposite each other, nearly meeting 
at their bases, but are a mile and a half 
apart at their sum.mits. ilount Ebal, the 
northern peak, is rocky and bare ; it rises 
3077 feet above the sea and 1200 feet above 
the level of the valley, wliich forms a 
natural amphitheatre. From repeated ex- 
periments it has been found that the voice 
can be heard distinctly from the top of one 
mountain to the other and in the vallej"" 
between. In the valley lay ancient She- 
chem, now Nablus. 

Ebed-naelech (e'bed-me'lek), a king's ser- 
vant, an Ethiopian eunuch in the service of 
King Zedekiah, through whose interference 
Jeremiah was released from prison. Jer. 
38 : 7 flr. ; 39 : 15, 16. 

Eben-ezer (eb'en-e'zer), stone of help. A 
stone set up by Samuel after a signal defeat 
of the Philistines, as a memorial of the 
" help " received from Jehovah. 1 Sam. 7 : 
12. Its position is carefully defined as be- 
tween Mizpeh and Shen. 

Eber (e'ber), beyond. 1. The great-grand- 
son of Shera, Gen. 10 : 21, 24 ; 11 : 14-17 ; 1 
Chron. 1 : 19, and the ancestor of Abraham 

76 



in the seventh generation. See Hebrews, 
Heber. 

Ecclesiastes {ek-kle'si-(is-tes), thepreacher. 
It is the seventh book after the PsaLms in 
the Hebrew Scriptures (but the second after 
the Psalms in the A. V.), and its title in 
Hebrew is Koheleth, signifjing one who 
speaks publicly in an assembly. Koheleth 
is the name by which Solomon, probably 
the author, speaks of himself throughout 
the book. The book teaches that to obey 
God is the highest good. It is the confes- 
sion of a man of wide experience looking 
back upon his past life and looking out 
upon the disorders and calamities which 
surround him. The writer is a man who 
has sinned in giving way to selfishness and 
sensuaUty, who has suffered for his sin in 
satiety and weariness of hfe, but who has 
through all this been under the discipline 
of a divine education, and has learned from 
it the lesson which God meant to teach 
him. 

Eden {e'den), pleasantness. 1. The home 
of Adam and Eve before their faU. Gen. 
2 : 15. Its site has not been fixed. Two of 
its rivers are identified, the Euphrates, and 
the Hiddekel or Tigris ; the others are dis- 
puted. Some say Gihon was the Nile and 
Pison the Indus. The best authorities 
agree that the " garden of Eden eastward" 
was somewhere in the highlands of Ar- 
menia, or in the valley of the Euphrates, 
but its precise location cannot be deter- 
mined. The Bible begins with a beautiful 
picture of Eden, the paradise of innocence 
on earth, and closes with an equally beauti- 
ful picture of the more glorious paradise of 
the future, with its river of life and tree of 
hfe. Rev. 22 : 2. 2. A region conquered 
by the Assyrians, 2 Kings 19 : 12 ; Isa. 37 : 12 ; 
probably in Mesopotamia, near modern 
Balis, and same as the Eden of Ezek. 27 : 23. 
3. The house of Eden. Amos 1 : 5. See 
Beth-eden. 

Edom {e'dom), red. Called also Idumsea 
and Mount Seir. Gen. 32 : 3 ; 36 : 8 ; 19 : 21. 
The countrj"- extended from the Dead Sea 
southward to the Gulf of Akabah, and from 
the valley of the Arabah eastward to the 
desert of Arabia, being about 125 miles long 
and 30 miles wide. It was given to Esau, 
and called the field or land of Edom. Gen. 
32 : 3 ; 36 : 16 ; Num. 33 : 37. The countrj' is 
well watered, rich in pasturage, abounding 
with trees and flowers, reminding us of 
Isaac's prophecy : " Thy dwelhngs shall be 
the fatness of the earth." Gen. 27 : 39. Its 
principal towns were Bozrah, Elath, Maon, 
Ezion-geber, Selah or Petra. Its destruc- 
tion was proclaimed. Isa. 34 : 5-8 ; 63 : 1-4 ; 
Jer. 49 : 17 ; Ezek. 25 : 12-14 ; Amos 1 : 10, 11. 
See Esau and Idumsea. 

Edrei (Sd're-i) strength, stronghold. 1. A 
capital city of Bashan. Num. 21 : 33 ; Deut. 
1:4; 3 : 1-10 ; Josh. 12 : 4. It was in the 
territory of Manasseh beyond (east of) Jor- 
dan. Num. 32 : 33. It is not noticed in 
later Bible historj^, although it was an im- 
portant city until the seventh century of 
the Christian era. Its ruins, called Edhra, 
cover a circuit of three miles. Among the 
ruins are remains of churches, temples, 



EGLON 



OP THE BIBLE. 



EGYPT 



and mosques. The place has now about 
500 population. 2. A town of Naphtall. 
Josh. 19 : 37. Porter Identifies it with Tel 
Khuraibeh, near Kedesh; Conder, with 
Ydter. 

£glon i^g'lon), calf-like. 1. King of the Mo- 
ahites, who held the Israelites in bondage 
eighteen years. Judg. 3 : 14. He formed 
an alliance with the Ammonites and Ama- 
lekites, and took possession of Jericho, 
where he resided, and where he was after- 
ward assassinated by Ehud. See Ehud. 
2. An Amorite town in Judah. Josh. 10 : 3-5 ; 
15 : 39 ; now 'Ajlan, a hill of ruins, ten miles 
northeast of Gaza. 

Egypt {e'jlpt). This is one of the oldest 
and most remarkable countries in ancient 
history, famous for its pyramids, sphinxes, 
obelisks, and ruins of temples and tombs. 
In early times it reached a high state of 
culture in art and hterature, and is of great 
interest to Jew and Christian as the early 
home of the Israelites and of their great 
lawgiver Moses. Our notice of it must be 
confined to its relations to Bible events, 
and to those facts in its history that throw 
light on the Scripture. In Hebrew, Egypt 
is called Mizraim, a dual form of the word, 
indicating the two divisions — Upper and 
Lower Egypt, or (as Tayler Lewis suggests), 
the two strips on the two sides of the Nile. 
It is also known as the Land of Ham, Ps. 
105 : 23, 27, and Rahxib; "the proud one." 
Ps. 87 : 4 ; 89 : 10 ; Isa. 51 : 9. The Coptic 
and older title is Kemi, or CJiemi, meaning 
black, from the dark color of the soil. The 
name Egypt first occurs in its Greek form 
in Homer, and is apphed to the Nile and 
to the country, but afterward it is used for 
the country only. Egypt is in the north- 
eastern part of Africa and hes on both sides 
of the Nile, In ancient times it included 
the land watered by the Nile as far as the 
First Cataract, the deserts on either side be- 
ing included in Arabia and Libya, Eze- 
kiel indicates that Egypt reached from 
Migdol, east of the Suez Canal, to Syene, 
now Assouan, on the border of Nubia, near 
the First Cataract of the Nile. Ezek. 29 : 
10, margin. The length of the country in 
a straight Une from the Mediterranean to 
the First Cataract is about 520 miles ; its 
breadth is from 300 to 450 miles, and its en- 
tire area is about 212,000 square miles. 
Nubia, Ethiopia, and other smaller districts 
bordering on the Nile to the south of Egypt, 
were, at times, under its sway. The 
country has three great natural divisions : 
1. The Delta. 2. The Nile Valley. 3. The 
sandy and rocky wastes. The Delta is one 
vast triangular plain, chiefly formed by 
the washing down of mud and loose earth 
by the great river Nile and watered by its 
several mouths, and by numerous canals. 
The Delta extends along the Mediterranean 
for about 200 miles and up the Nile for 
100 miles. The Tanitic branch of the Nile 
is on the east of the Delta, and the Canopic 
branch on the west, though the Delta is 
now limited chiefly to the space between 
the Rosetta and the Damietta branches, 
which is about 90 miles in extent. 

Climate,— T\^Q summers are hot and sul- 



try, the wintei-s mild ; rain, except along 
the Mediterranean, is very rare, the fertil- 
ity of the land depending almost entirely 
upon the annual overflow of the Nile, or 
upon artificial irrigation by canals, water- 
wheels, and the shadoof. Winds are strong, 
those from a northerly source being the 
most prevalent, while the simoon, a violent 
whirlwind and hurricane of sand, is not 
infrequent. The soil, when watered, is 
fertile, and fruits, vegetables, plants, and 
nuts are abundant. The papyrus reed was 
that- from which paper was made. The 
reeds have disappeared, as Isaiah predicted. 
Isa. 19 : 6, 7, Domestic and wild animals 
were nvunerous, including the crocodile 
and hippopotamus, and vulture, hawk, 
hoopoe (a sacred bird), and ostrich were 
common. FUes and locusts were sometimes 
a scourge. Joel 2 : 1-11. 

Inscriptions. — The hieroglyphic signs on 
the monuments are partly ideographic or 
pictorial, partly phonetic. The hiero- 
glyphic, the shorter hieratic, and the de- 
motic alphabets were deciphered by Cham- 
polhon and Young by means of the famous 
trilingual Rosetta Stone, discovered in 1799, 
and the Coptic language, which is essen- 
tially the same with the old Egyptian. For 
a summary of the respective merits of 
Young and ChampolUon with regard to the 
interpretationof Egyptian hieroglyphics, see 
Allibone's Dictionary of Authors, vol. 3, p. 
2902. The process of decipherment was, 
briefly, as follows: the Rosetta Stone had 
an inscription in three characters, hiero- 
glyphic, demotic, and Greek. The Greek, 
which was easily read, declared that there 
were two translations — one in the sacred, 
the other in the popular language of the 
Egyptians, adjacent to it. The demotic part 
was next scrutinized, and the groups deter- 
mined which contained the word Ptolemy. 
These were compared with other framed 
symbols on an obehsk found at Philse, and 
after a time the true interpretation of these 
signs discovered, so that scholars can now 
read most of these hieroglyphic signs with 
great accuracy. 

History. — The ancient history of Egypt has 
been divided into three periods by leading 
writers : the old monarchy, extending from 
the foundation of the kingdom to the in- 
vasion of the Hyksos ; the middle, from the 
entrance to the expulsion of the Hyksos ; 
and the new, from the re- establishment of 
the native monarchy by Amasis to the Per- 
sian conquest. Manetho enumerates 30 
dynasties as having ruled in Eg>'pt before 
Alexander the Great, probably several of 
them at the same time, but over separate 
parts of the country. Manetho was an 
Egyptian priest who lived in the era of the 
Ptolemies in the third centmy b. c. His 
work (a history of Egypt, written in Greek) 
is lost, but his list of dynasties has been 
preserved in later writers. The beginning 
of the first dynasty in his hst is fixed by 
Lepsius in 3892 B. c, but by Bockh in 5702 
B. c. 1. The old monarchy : Memphis was 
the most ancient capital, the foundation of 
which is ascribed to Menes, the first historic 
king of Egypt. The most memorable epoch 

77 



EGYPT 



PEOPLE'S DtCflOi^AkY 



EGYPT 



in the history of the old monarchy is that 
of the Pj'ramid kings, placed in Manetho's 
fourth dynasty. Their names are found 
upon these monuments : the builder of the 
great pjTamid is called Suphis by Manetho, 
Cheops by Herodotiis, and Khitfu or Shufu 
in an inscription upon the pyramid. The 
erection of the second pyramid is attributed 
by Herodotus and Diod"orus to Chephren ; 
and upon the neighboring tombs has been 
read the name of Khafra or Shaj're. The 
builder of the third pyramid is named My- 
cerinus by Herodotus and Diodorus ; arid 
in this very pyramid a coffin has been found 
bearing the ' name Menkura. The most 
powerful kings of the old monarchy were 
those of Manetho's twelfth djTiasty ; 'to this 

Eeriod is assigned the construction of the 
ake of Moens and the Labyrinth. 2. The 
middle monarchy. In this "period the no- 
madic horde called Hyksos for several cen- 
turies occupied and made E^pt tributary ; 
their capital was Memphis; they con- 
structed an immense earth-camp, "which 
they called Abaris ; two independent king- 
doriis were formed in Egj'pt, one in the 
Thebaid, which held intimate relations 
with Ethiopia ; another at Xois, among 
the marshes of the Nile ; but finally the 
Egyptians regained their independ'ence, 
and expelled the Hj'ksos; Manetho sup- 
poses they were called hylcsos, from hyk, 
a king, a"nd sos, a shepherd. The Hyk- 
sos form the fifteenth, sixteenth and sev- 
enteenth dynasties. Manetho says they 
were Arabs, but he calls the six kings 
of the fifteenth dynasty Phoenicians. 3. The 
new monarchy 'covers the eighteenth to 
the end of the thirtieth dynasty. The king- 
dom was consohdated by Amosis, who suc- 
ceeded in expelling the Hyksos. The glori- 
ous era of Egyptian history was under the 
nineteenth dynasty, when Sethi L, b. c. 
1322, and his grandson, Rameses the Great, 
B. c. 1311, both of whom represent the Se- 
sostris of the Greek historians, carried their 
arms over the whole of western Asia and 
southward into Soudan, and amassed vast 
treasures, which were expended on pubhc 
works. Under the later kings of the nine- 
teenth djmasty the power of Egypt faded : 
but with" the twenty-second we a"gain enter 
upon a period that is interesting from its 
associations with bibhcal history. The first 
of this djrnasty, Sheshonk I., b. c. 990, was 
the Shishak who invaded Judea in Reho- 
boam's reign and pillaged the temple. 1 
Kings 14 : 2o. Probably his successor, Osor- 
kon I., is the Zerah of Scripture, defeated 
by Asa. The chronology and dates in 
Egyptian history are very "unsettled and in- 
definite. The two noted" authorities on this 
subject — M. Mariette and Prof Lepsius — 
difier over 1100 years in their tables as to 
the length of dynasties I., — XYII. and others 
vary in their computations about 3000 years 
as to the length of the empire. Some "have 
conjectiu'ed that Menes, the founder of 
Egypt, was identical with Mizraim, a grand- 
son of Noah. Gen. 10 : 6. So probably the 
same with Shebek n. , who made an alliance 
with Hoshea, the last king of Israel Teh- 
rak orTirhakah fought Sennacherib in sup- 

78 



port of Hezekiah. After this a native dy- 
nasty'— the twenty -sixth — of Saite kings 
again occupied the throne. Psametek I. or 
Psammetichus I., B. c. 664, warred in Pales- 
tine, and took Ashdod (Azotus) after a siege 
of 29 j-ears. Neku or Necho, the son of 
Psamiaetichus, continued the war in the 
east, and marched along the coast of Pales- 
tine to attack the king of Assyria. At Me- 
giddo Josiah encountered him, b. c. 608-7. 
2 Chron. 35 : 21. . The army of Necho was 
after a short space routed at Carchemish by 
Nebuchadnezzar, b. c. 605-4. Jer. 46 : 2. The 
second successor of Necho, Apries, or Pha- 
raoh-hophra, sent his army into Palestine to 
the aid of Zedekiah, Jer. 37 : 5, 7, 11, so that J 
the siege of Jerusalem was raised for a time. 
There is, however, no certain account of a 
complete subjugation of Egypt by the king 
of Babylon. Amosis, the successor of 
Apries, "had a long and prosperous reign, 
and somewhat restored, the weight of 
Eg^'pt in the East. But Persia proved more 
terhble than Babylon to the house of Psam- 
metichus, and t"he son of Amosis had 
reigned but six months when Cambyses re- 
duced the country to the condition of a 
province of his empire, B. c. 525. 

Egypt and the Bible. — To the Bible-reader 
the chief points of interest in Egyptian his- 
tory are those periods when that country 
came in contact with the patriarchs and 
the Israehtes. The visit of Abraham to 
Egypt. Gen. 12 : iO-20. Tins visit took 
pla"ce, according to the Hebrew (or short] 
chronologj-, about B. c. 1920, which would 
bring it, a'ccording to some, at the date of 
the Hyksos, or Shepherd-kings ; others re- 
gard this as too late a date, and put it in 
the beginning of the twelfth dynasty ; and 
his favorable reception is supposed to be il- 
lustrated by a picture in the tombs at 
Beni Hassan (where are many remarkable 
sculptures), representing the "arrival of a 
distinguished nomad chief viith his family, 
seeking protection under Osirtasen II. Next 
is the notice of Joseph in Egypt. Gen. 37 : 
36. This beautiful and natural story has 
been shown to be thoroughly in a"ccord 
with what is known of Egyptian customs 
of that age. Inscriptions "on the monu- 
ments speak of the dreams of Pharaoh ; 
the butler's and baker's duties are indi- 
cated in pictures ; one of the oldest papyri 
relates the stors- that a foreigner was raised 
to the highest rank in the court of Pharaoh ; 
and Dr. Brugsch beheves an inscription on 
a tomb at el-Kab to contain an unmistak- 
able allusion to the seven years of famine 
in Joseph's time, as follows: "I gathered 
grain, a friend of the god of harvest. I was 
watchful at the seed-time. And when a 
famine arose through many years, I distrib- 
uted the grain through the town in every 
famine." The greatest point of interest is, 
perhaps, the period of oppression of the Is- 
raehtes in Egvpt, and the Exodus. Ex. 1 : 
8-22; 12:41. Who was the Pharaoh of the 
oppression, and vrho the Pharaoh of the 
Exodus? To this two answers are given 
by different scholars : 1. Amosis or Aahmes 
I.", the first ruler of the eighteenth dynasty, 
is identified with the Pharaoh of the op- 



EGYPT 



OP THE BIBLE. 



Egypt 



pression, and Thothmes II., about 100 years 
later, as the Pharaoh of the Exodus, by 
Canon Cook. 2. That Rameses II., the 
third sovereign of the nineteenth dynasty, 
is the Pharaoh of the oppression, and Me- 
nephthah the Pharaoh of the Exodus, is the 
view now held by a majority of Egyptolo- 
gists. Rameses II. is the Sesostris of the 
Greeks, who blended him with his father, 
Sethi I., or Sethos. He ruled 67 years and 
was the great conqueror and builder, cov- 
ering his empire with monuments in glory 
of himself, "His name," says Dr. Ebers, 
" may be read to-day on a hundred monu- 
ments in Goshen." Among his many struc- 
tures noted on monuments and in papyri 
are fortifications along the canal from Go- 
shen to the Red Sea, and particularly at 
Pi -turn and Pi-rameses or Pi-ramessu ; these 
must be the same as the treasure-cities Pi- 
thom and Rameses, built or enlarged by 
the Israehtes for Pharaoh. Ex. 1 : 11. He- 
rodotus tells us that a son and successor of 
Sesostris undertook no warUke expeditions 
and was smitten with bUndness for ten 
years because he "impiously hurled his 
spear into the overflowing waves of the 
river, which a sudden wind caused to rise 
to an extraordinary height." Schaffsays: 
" This reads hke a confused reminiscence 
of the disaster at the Red Sea." The chief 
objection to this view is that it allows less 
than 315 years between the Exodus and the 
building of Solomon's temple ; but the 
present uncertainties of the Hebrew and 
Egyptian chronologies deprive the objec- 
tion of great weight. After the Exodus 
the Israehtes frequently came into con- 
tact with Egypt at various periods in 
their history. Through an Egyptian, Da- 
vid recovered the spoil from the Ama- 
lekites, 1 Sam. 30 : 11, etc. ; Solomon made 
a treaty with king Pharaoh and married 
his daughter, 1 Kings 3:1; Gezer was 
spoiled by Pharaoh and given to Solomon's 
wife, 1 Kings 9 : 16 ; Solomon brought 
horses from Egypt ; Hadad fled thither for 
refuge, as did also Jeroboam, 1 Kings 10 : 28 ; 
11 : 17 ; 12 : 2 ; Shishak plundered Jerusalem 
and made Judaea tributary, 1 Kings 14 : 25, 
and a record of this invasion and conquest 
has been deciphered on the walls of the 
great temple at Karnak, or el-Karnak. In 
this inscription is a figure with a strong re- 
semblance to Jewish features, which bears 
Egyptian characters that have been trans- 
lated " the kingof Judah." Pharaoh-necho 
v^ras met on his expedition against the As- 
syrians by Josiah, who was slain. 2 Kings 
23 : 29, 30. Pharaoh-hophra aided Zedekiah, 
Jer. 37 : 5-11, so that the siege of Jerusalem 
was raised, but he appears to have been 
afterward attacked by Nebuchadnezzar. 
The sway of Egypt was checked and finally 
overcome by the superior power of Baby- 
lonia, and its entire territory in Asia was 
taken away. 2 Kings 24 : 7 ; Jer. 46 : 2. The 
books of the prophets contain many decla- 
rations concerning the wane and destruc- 
tion of the Egyptian power^ which have 
been remarkably fulfilled in its subsequent 
history. See Isa. 19 ; 20 ; 30 : 3 ; 31 : 3 ; 36 : 
6; Jer. 2:36; 9:25,26; 43:11-13; 44:30; 



46 ; Ezek. 29 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; Dan. 11 : 42 ; Joel 
3 : 19 ; and " the sceptre of Egypt shall de- 
part away." Zech. 10 : 11. In the New Tes- 
tament there are several references to the 
relations of the Israelites to Egypt as they 
existed in Old Testament times; see Acts 
2 : 10 ; 7 : 9-40 ; Heb. 3 : 16 ; 11 : 26, 27 ; but 
the interesting fact in the New Testament 
period was the flight of the holy family 
into Egypt, where the infant Jesus and his 
parents found a refuge from the cruel order 
of Herod the Great. Matt. 2 : 13-19. Among 
the various other allusions to Egypt in the 
Bible are those to its fertihty and produc- 
tions. Gen. 13 : 10 ; Ex. 16 : 3 ; Num. 11 : 5 ; 
to its mode of irrigation as compared with 
the greater advantages of Canaan, which 
had rain and was watered by natural 
streams, Deut. 11:10; its commerce with 
Israel and the people of western Asia, Gen. 
37 : 25, 36 ; 1 Kings 10 : 28, 29 ; Ezek, 27 : 7 ; 
its armies equipped with chariots and 
horses, Ex. 14 : 7 ; Isa. 31 : 1 ; its learned 
men and its priests. Gen. 41 : 8 ; 47 : 22 ; Ex. 
7 : 11 ; 1 Kings 4 : 30 ; its practice of em- 
balming the dead. Gen. 50 : 3 ; its aversion 
to shepherds, and its sacrifices of cattle, 
Gen. 46 : 34 ; Ex. 8 : 26 ; how its people 
should be admitted into the Jewish Church, 
Deut. 23 : 7, 8 ; the warnings to Israel against 
any alliance with the Egyptians, Isa. 30 : 2 ; 
36 : 6 ; Ezek. 17 : 15 ; 29 : 6 ; and to the towns 
of the country. Ezek. 30 : 13-18. The rec- 
ords on existing monuments have been 
found to confirm the accuracy of all these 
allusions to the customs of the people. 

Ruins. — "Egypt is the monumental land 
of the earth," says Bunsen, "as the Egyp- 
tians are the monumental people of his- 
tory." Among the most interesting ancient 
cities are: (a) On or Heliopolis, "the city 
of the sun,'* ten miles northeast of Cairo, 
where there was an obelisk of red granite 
68 feet high, and erected previous to the 
visit of Abraham and Sarah to the land 
of the Pharaohs. Formerly the obeUsks 
of Cleopatra stood here also, but were re- 
moved to Alexandria during the reign of Ti- 
berius ; and one of them now stands on the 
banks of the Thames, London, and another 
in Central Park, New York. Joseph was mar- 
ried at Heliopolis, Gen. 41 : 45, and there, 
according to Josephus, Jacob made his 
home ; it was probably the place where 
Moses received his education, where Herod- 
otus acquired most of his skill in writing 
history, and where Plato, the Greek philos- 
opher, studied. (6) Thebes " of the hun- 
dred ^ates," one of the most famous cities 
of antiquity, is identified with No or No- 
Ammon of Scripture, Jer. 46 : 25 ; Ezek. 
30 : 14-16 ; Nah. 3 : 8. The ruins are very 
extensive, and the city in its glory stretched 
over thirty miles along the banks of the 
Nile, covering the places now known as 
Luxor, Karnak, and Thebes, (c) Memphis, 
the Noph of Scripture. Jer. 46 : 19. " Noth- 
ing is left of its temples and monuments 
but a colossal statue of Rameses II., lying 
mutilated on the face in the mud." The 
temples at Karnak and Luxor are the most 
interesting, the grandest among them all 
being the magnificent temple of Rameses 

79 



EHUD 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ELDER 



II. There are ruins of temples at Dende- 
rah, Abydos, Philse, Heliopolis, and at Ip- 
samboul, 170 miles south of Philse, in Nu- 
bia. Among the noted tombs are those 
at Thebes, Beni-Hassan, and Osiout, and 
among the obelisks are those at Luxor, 
Karnak, Heliopolis, and Alexandria. In a 
cave near Thebes 39 royal mummies and 
various other objects were discovered in 
1881. Among the mummies was that of 
Rameses XL, the Pharaoh of the oppression, 
which has been fully described by Maspero. 
These wonderful ruins attest the magnifi- 
cence and grandeur, but also the absolute 
despotism and slaveiy, of this land in the 
earliest ages and as far back as before the 
days of Abraham, and they also attest in 
the most impressive manner the fulfillment 
of prophecy. Over 2000 years it has been 
without "a prince of the land of Egypt," 
Ezek. 30 : 13 ; and "the basest of the king- 
doms." Ezek. 29 : 15. 

Ehud {e'hud), union. 1. The second 
judge or judicial ruler of the Hebrews, who 
assassinated Eglon, and dehvered them 
from the oppression which they had suf- 
fered for eighteen years under the Moab- 
ites. He was a Benjamite, strong, and left- 
handed. Judg. 3:12-30; 4:1. 2. A de- 
scendant of Benjamin. 1 Chron. 7 : 10 ; 
8:6. 

Ekron (ek'ron), emigration. The most 
northerly of the five cities of the PhiUstines, 
Josh. 13 : 3 ; in the lowlands of Judah, Josh. 
15 : 11 ; conquered by Judah, Josh. 15 : 
45 ; allotted to Dan, Josh. 19 : 43 ; recon- 
quered by Samuel, 1 Sam. 5 : 10 ; 7 : 14 ; again 
a Phihstine city, 1 Sam. 17 : 52 ; 2 Kings 1 : 
2 ; Jer. 25 : 20 ; Amos 1:8; Zech. 9:5; now 
called Akir, on a hill 12 miles southeast of 
Joppa, a wretched village of about 50 mud 
hovels. The prophecy has been fulfilled, 
" Ekron shall be rooted up." Zeph. 2 : 4. 

Elali {e'lafi), terebinth,\a.llej of. 1. Where 
Da\^d slew Gohath. 1 Sam. 17 : 2, 19 ; 21 : 9. 
It is now called Wady es-Sunt, or "Acacia 
Valley," 14 miles southwest .of Jerusalem. 
The valley is about a quarter of a mile wide, 
and has steep sides rising to a height of 
about 500 feet. The torrent or brook has a 
deep channel in the middle of the valley, 
and its course is strewn with smooth white 
stones. Terebinth trees, which gave the 
original title to the valley, are still found 
there. 2. The name of six persons in early 
biblical history. 

Elam {e'lam). 1. A country peopled by 
the descendants of Shem, and called, after 
his son, Elam. Gen. 10 : 22. It lay south of 
AssjTria and west of Persia proper, and 
reached to the Persian Gulf. Herodotus 
called it Cissia. It was a province of Per- 
sia, of which Susa was capital. Ezra 4:9; 
Dan. 8 : 2. Elam was a strong power in 
Abram's time. Gen. 14 : 9. Its people aided 
in the destruction of Babylon, Isa. 21 : 2 ; 
invaded Israel, 22 : 6. Its destruction Avas 
foretold. Jer. 49 : 34-39 ; 25 : 25 ; Ezek. 32 : 
24, 25. A remarkable statement illustrating 
the truth of the Scriptures in respect to 
Elam has been deciphered from Assyrian 
cylinders in the British Museum. 2. The 
name of six persons in the Old Testament. 

80 



Elath. {eflath), trees, a grove, perhaps tere- 
binth-grove. A city of Idumea, on the ex- 
tremity of the eastern Gulf of the Red Sea, 
which is called from it Sinus Elaniticus — 
Elanitic Gulf, or the Gulf of Akabah. Deut. 
2:8; 2 Kings 14 : 22 ; 16 : 6. The Edomites 
being subdued, 2 Sam. 8 : 14, Da\id took 
possession of Elath or Eloth ; and after him 
Solomon, whose fleet sailed from the neigh- 
boring town Ezion-geber to Ophir. 1 Kings 
9 : 26 ; 2 Chron. 8 : 17, 18. It was again re- 
covered by the Idumeans ; and once more 
subdued by Uzziah, king of Judah ; but 
Rezin, king of Syria, took it at length from 
the Jews, who seem never again to have 
recovered it. The site of Elath, the Ailah 
and ^lana of the Greeks and Romans, now 
consists of nothing but extensive moiinds 
of irubbish, near the castle and village of 
Akabah. 

Eldad {il'ddd), whom God loves, meaning 
same as Theophilus. One of the 70 to whom 
the prophetical spirit of Jkloses was com- 
municated. He with Medad did not go 
with the rest to the tabernacle, but prophe- 
sied in the camp. Joshua therefore begged 
Moses to forbid them. Num. 11 : 24-29. 

Elder. We find the " eldest servant " of 
Abraham's house " ruling over all that he 
had," Gen. 24 :2 ; we have also mention of 
"the eldei-s of Joseph's house," and the 
"elders of the land of Egypt," Gen. 50 : 7, 
obviously indicating the chiefs of Joseph's 
establishment, and high Egj'ptian ofiicers. 
Moses was desired to convey the divine 
message to " the elders of Israel," Ex. 3 : 16; 
and they were both to accompany him 
when he demanded freedom from Pharaoh, 
and also to be the means of communication 
between Moses and the mass of the people. 
Ex. 3 : 18 ; 4 : 29 ; 12 : 21. We are not told who 
these elders were, probably the leading 
persons in each tribe. We find them after 
the departure from Egypt, Ex. 17 : 6 ; 19 : 7 ; 
and from these, 70 were selected for special 
worship with Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and 
Abihu. Ex. 24 : 1, 2, 9-11. Moses had, at the 
suggestion of Jethro, appointed ofi&cers to 
administer justice, Ex. 18 : 26, but he seems 
to have required, further, a body of (if they 
may be so called) pohtical adAisers. Ac- 
cordingly 70 out of the general class of 
elders were chosen, approved men ; and 
on these the divine Spirit was especially 
poured. Num. 11 : 10-30. Possibly it was 
from this example that the Sanhedrin was 
afterwards constituted. There were "el- 
ders " of neighboring nations, synonjTnous 
with "princes," as of Moab and Midian, 
Num. 22 : 7, 13, and of the Hivites. Josh. 
9 : 11. And we find the institution remain- 
ing in Israel through the whole history, 
under every change of government, and "a 
certain authority exercised by them to 
which the people submitted. Sometimes 
they are mentioned as local magistrates, 
presiding over separate tribes or districts, 
and sometimes as the superior class, it is 
hkely, acting generally for the nation. 
Deut. 19:12; 21:2, 3,.6; 31:28; Josh. 9:15, 
18-21:24:1; Judg. 2:7; 8:14; 11:5; ISam. 
4 : 3 ; '8 : 4 ; 16 : 4 ; 30 : 26 ; 2 Sam. 17 : 4 ; 19 : 
11; 1 Kings 12:6; 20:8; 21:U; 2 Kings 



ELEALEH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ELimr 



10 :1, 5 ; 1 Chron. 21 : 16 ; Ezra 5 : 5 ; 6 : 7, 
14 ; 10 : 8, 14 ; Jer. 29 : 1 ; Ezek. 8 : 1, 12. Those 
who locally administered justice are said 
to have been termed " elders of the gate," 
Prov. 31 : 23 ; Lam. 5 : 14 ; because that was 
the place where a court was often held. 
Ruth 4 : 2, 4, 9, 11. . Elders are mentioned in 
Maccabean times, apparently distinct from 
the Sanhedrin, 1 Mace. 7 : 38 ; 12 : 6. In 
the New Testament history they are asso- 
ciated with the cliief priests and scribes, 
but yet not to be confounded with them. 
Matt. 16 : 21 ; 21 : 23 ; 26 : 59 ; 27 : 41. And an 
analogous class yet subsists among Arab 
tribes, viz., their sheikhs, a word implying 
' ' old men. ' ' Officers of the ChristiL,n church 
are designated by elders. Acts 14 : 23 ; 20 : 17 ; 
and regulations are given in regard to them, 
1 Tim. 5:1, 17, 19; the Greek word for 
elder being preshuteros. In every congre- 
gation of behevers, as gathered by the 
apostles, a number of elders were ordained. 
Acts 14 : 23 ; 20 : 17 ; Titus 1 : 5. Their duty 
was to feed, oversee and look after the 
flock. They were called elders, overseers, 
or bishop. Acts 20 : 28 ; 1 Tim. 3:5:1 Pet. 

5 : 1, 3 ; Heb. 13 : 17, showing that their du- 
ties were similar. Titus 1 : 5, 7 ; Acts 20 : 28 ; 
Phil. 1 : 1. The injunction, " Let the elders 
that rule well be counted worthy of double 
honor, especially they who labor in the 
word and doctrine," shows, that the office, 
as ruler and teacher, is united. 1 Tim. 3 : 
2 ; 5 : 17 , Rom. 12 : 8 ; 1 Thess. 5 : 12, 13 ; 1 
Pet. 5:2; Titus 1 : 9. They were local offi- 
cers of congregations, sometimes called 
bishops or overseers. See Acts 20 : 17, 28 ; 
Titus 1 : 5 ffi ; 1 Pet. 5 : 1. The distinction in 
Scripture between the teaching and the 
ruhng elder is not very clear, unless it can 
be found in 1 Tim. 5 : 17. 

Elealeh (e-le-d'leh), whither God ascends. 
A city east of Jordan ; given to the Reu- 
benites. Num. 32 : 3, 37 ; afterward possessed 
by Moab, Isa. 15 : 4 ; 16 : 9 ; Jer. 48 : 34 ; now 
el-A'al, " the high," one mile northeast of 
Heshbon. 

£leazar {efle-d'zar or e-le'a-zar), whom 
God helps. 1. The third son of Aaron. Ex. 

6 : 23-25 ; 28 : 1. After the death of his 
brothers Nadab and Abihu, he was placed 
at the head of the Levites, Num. 3 : 32, and 
subsequently succeeded his father as high 
priest. Num. 20 : 28. He was then united 
with Moses in the divine communications. 
Num. 26 : 1, and with Joshua, who was 
solemnly inaugurated before him. Num. 
27 : 18-23. Eleazar entered Canaan, and, 
in conjunction with Joshua, divided it 
among the tribes. Josh. 14 : 1 ; 17 : 4 ; 21 : 1. 
His death is mentioned, Josh. 24 : 33, but 
not the time of it : perhaps it was near that 
of Joshua. He was succeeded as high priest 
by his son Phinehas. 2. The son of Abina- 
dab of Kirjath-jearim, "sanctified" or a*p- 
pointed to take charge of the ark after its 
restoration by the Philistines. 1 Sam. 7 : 1. 

3. A son of Dodo, and one of David's chief 
warriors. 2 Sam. 23 : 9 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 12. 

4. A Levite of the family of Merari, who 
had no sons, only daughters. 1 Chron. 23 : 
21, 22 ; 24 : 28. 5. A Levite who helped to 
weigh the vessels that Ezra brought to Jeru- 



salem. Ezra 8 : 33. 6. One who had mar- 
ried a foreign wife. Ezra 10 : 25. 7. A priest 
who took part in the dedication of the wall 
of Jerusalem. Neh. 12 : 42. 8. A person 
named among our Lord's ancestry. Matt. 
1:15. 

El-Elohe-Israel {U'e-l6'he-iz-ra-el), God, 
the God of Israel. The name bestowed by 
Jacob on the altar which he erected facing 
the city of Shechem. Gen. 33 : 19, 20. 

Eli (e'li), summit, the highest, according to 
som.e,adopted of the Lord. A noted high priest 
and judge of Israel. He was of the family of 
Ithamar, Aaron's youngest son ; for his 
descendant Ahimelech or Abiathar, 1 Sam. 
14 : 3 ; 22 : 20 ; 2 Sam. 8 : 17, is expressly said 
to be of that house. 1 Chron. 24 : 3. We 
do not know how or when the high 
priesthood passed from Eleazar's family 
to that of Ithamar ; but because of Eh's 
sin in not restraining his ungodly sons, it 
reverted again to the elder line. 1 Sam. 2 ; 
22-25 ; 1 Kings 2 : 35. With the exception 
of this great fault, of which he was repeat- 
edly warned, EU appears to have been a 
holy man. To him was committed the 
charge of Samuel the prophet when a child. 
And his anxiety for the ark of God, car- 
ried with the Israehtish army to battle, is 
graphically depicted in the sacred history. 
He sat watching for news in the open road ; 
and when he heard the disastrous intelli- 
gence, the death of his two sons, and, worst 
of all, the capture of the ark by the Phil- 
istines, he who could have borne the 
desolation of his own house sank down in 
grief, and his neck brake, and he died. He 
was 98 years old, and had judged Israel 40 
years; some of these years probably in- 
cluding the time of Samuel. 1 Sam. 1-4. 
Part of the fulfillment of the threatening 
against Eli's house is noted in 1 Kings 2 : 27. 

Eliab {e-ll'ah), to whom God is father. The 
eldest son of Jesse, 1 Sam. 17 : 13, and a man 
of angry and envious temper, as appears 
from his treatment of his brother David. 
There are in all six persons of this name 
mentioned in the Bible. 

Eliakim {e-ll'a-kim), whom God establishes. 
1. The master of the household of Hezekiah, 
and one of the commissioners appointed to 
treat with the king of Assyria. 2 Kings 18 : 
18, 26, 37 ; 19 : 2 ; Isa. 22 : 20 ; 36 : 3, 11, 22 ; 
37 : 2. 2. The son and successor of Josiah, 
king of Judah. His name was changed to 
Jehoiakim. 2 Kings 23 : 34 ; 2 Chron. 36 : 4. 
There are five persons of this name men- 
tioned in the Bible. 

Eliezer {e'li-e'zer). To whom God is 
help. Gen. 15:2. A name which occurs 
11 times in the Old Testament. The most 
distinguished person who bore it was 
Abraham's steward and confidential ser- 
vant. Compare Gen. 24 : 2. 

Eliliu {e-ll'hu or H'i-hU), whose God is He, 
i.e., Jehovah. 1. The Buzite, a friend of 
Job, and, perhaps, the arbitrator between 
him and his three acquaintances who had 
come to sympathize with him in his calam- 
ities. The soothing, yet faithful and hon- 
est, discourse of Elihu is finely contrasted 
with the sharp and severe language of the 
Other three ; and especially are his wisdom, 

SI 



ELIJAH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ELISHA 



piety, and benevolence admirable, when 
we consider his youth, and the character 
and standing of those whom he addressed. 
Job 32-37. Four other persons of the same 
najne are mentioned in the old Testament. 
Elijah (e-ll'jah), my God is Jehovah. 1. 
That most renowned prophet of Israel who, 
with no introduction as to his birth or 
parentage, or even account of the di-\'ine 
commission given to him, bursts forth in 
sacred story as the stern denouncer of 
judgment on apostate Israel, and who, 
after his marvelous course of miracle and 
bold vindication of God's authority, is 
translated without tasting death. He first 
appears as a messenger from God to Ahab, 
the wicked king of Israel, probably in the 
tenth year of his reign. He was sent to 
prophesy three years' drought in the land 
of Israel. After delivering this starthng 
and distressing prophecy, he was directed 
to flee to the brook Cherith, where he was 
miraculously fed by ravens. When the 
brook had dried up he was sent to a widow 
woman of Zarephath, and again the hand 
of the Lord suppUed his wants and those 
of his friends. He raised the widow's son 
to Ufe. 1 Kings 17. After the famine had 
lasted the predicted period, Elijah en- 
countered Ahab, and then ensued the mag- 
nificent display of divine power and of 
human trust ujxjn the ridge of Carmel. 1 
Kings 18. See Ahab. The reaction from 
such a mental strain left the prophet in a 
weak, nervous condition, and in a fit of 
despondency he fled from Jezebel into the 
"wilderness" and desired death. In 
Mount Sinai the downcast man of God was 
witness of Jehovah's strength and expe- 
rienced Jehovah's tenderness in a very re- 
markable \asion. 1 Kings 19 : 9-18. He 
anointed Ehsha to be prophet in his room. 
1 Kings 19. He then retired into privacy, 
but after the dastardly murder of Naboth 
he suddenly appeared before the guilty 
king and announced the judgment of Je- 
hovah against the royal pair. 1 Kings 21. 
Several years after occurred the prophecy 
of Ahaziah's death. 2 Kings 1 : 1-4. See 
Ahaziah. The slaughter by fire of the two 
companies of troops sent "to take Ehjah 
must have greatly increased the popular 
awe of the prophet. Ehjah was translated 
to heaven in a miraculous manner. 2 
Kings 2. The character of Ehjah made a 
deep impression upon the Jews. He was 
expected to return to earth as the forerun- 
ner of Messiah ; an expectation encouraged 
by the remarkable prophecy, Mai. 4 : 5, 6, 
already referred to. The prophecy was in- 
deed fulfilled, but not in the way they im- 
agined. John Baptist, though not person- 
ally Ehjah, John 1 : 21, was to go before 
the Messiah in the spirit and po'wer of the 
ancient prophet, Luke 1 : 17 ; and thus otir 
Lord himself explained the matter to his 
disciples. Matt. 17 : 10-13. There was, it is 
true, a personal appearance of Ehjah with 
Moses, when the two in glory stood beside 
the transfigured Sa\aour on the holy mount, 
and talked -udth him of his coming death — 
a proof how both the law and the proph- 
ets pointed to a Redeemer suffering ere he 

82 



was triumphant. Matt. 17 : 1-8 ; Mark 9:2-8; 
Luke 9:28-36. There are those who be- 
lieve that the prediction of Ehjah's coming 
has not yet had its full accomplishment ; 
and they expect, before the second appear- 
ing of the Lord, that the old stern prophet 
of Gilead, who never died, will tread the 
earth again. Such a question, however, 
cannot be discussed here. 

Elisabeth {e-Uz'a-hUh), God her oath, that 
is, worshipper of God. The wife of Zacha- 
rias, and mother of John the Baptist. She 
was of a priestly family, and also the cousin 
of the Virgin Marj-. She is described as 
being, with her husband, a person of piety, 
"walking ia all the commandments and 
ordinances of the Lord blameless." Luke 
1 : 5-66. 

Elisha {e-lVshah\ God his salvation. A 
distinguished propnet of Israel and succes- 
sor of Ehjah. The acts of his earher min- 
istry are related at considerable length. 
He is first mentioned as the son of Shaphat, 
the agriculturist of Abel-meholah in the 
valley of the Jordan. While occupied in 
guiding the plow he received the call of 
Elijah, and appears ever after to have at- 
tended on him. 1 Kings 19 : 16, 19-21 ; 2 
Kings 3 : 11. How deep the affection was 
with which he regarded his master, the 
narrative of Elijah's last days on earth suf- 
ficiently testifies. At his translation Ehsha 
asked a double portion of the departing 
prophet's spirit, secured his faUing mantle, 
and had speedily full proof that the Lord 
God of Elijah was with him. 2 Kings 2 : 1- 
15. Ehsha, though a young man, was bald. 
The young i)ersons mocked at the great 
miracle just performed. Why should not 
the bald head go up after his master ? the 
world would be weU rid of both. Such 
profanity must have an instant significant 
punishnient. And at the word of the 
prophet, speaking in God's name, she- 
bears destroyed a number of these mock- 
ers. 2 Kings 2 : 23-25. Many would hear 
and fear, and learn to reverence God's am- 
bassador. He was the counsellor and friend 
of successive kings. He was the opposite 
to Ehjah in most things. He hved in the 
city or with his students, honored and 
sought for, a welcome guest in the homes 
he graced by his presence. And yet he 
was filled with a " double "—i. e., an elder 
brother's — portion of Elijah's spirit, both to 
work miracles and to give counsel for pres- 
ent and future emergencies. He multiphed 
the -nidow 's oil, 2 Kings 4 : 5-8, and when 
the son of the good Shunammite — God's 
reward to her for her kindness to his 
prophet— died, he raised him to hfe. 2 
Kings 4 : 8-37. He cured Naaman, smote 
Gehazi with leprosy, misled the Syrians, 
foretold abundant food, and when dying- 
gave the king the promise of victor>'. 2 
Kings 5 to 8. But God would still put honor 
on his servant. He was buried, and after- 
wards, when Moabite bands were ravaging 
the country, and some one was to be car- 
ried to the tomb, the attendants, surprised 
by the spoilers, hastily thrust the corpse 
into Ehsha's sepulchre. But no sooner had 
it touched the great prophet's bones tJiau 



EMBALMING 



OF THE BIBLE. 



EPHESIAN3 



the dead man lived again. 2 Kings 13 : 20, 21. 
Truly, by all these wondrous works it was 
abundantly proved that there was a God in 
Israel. 

Embalming:. A process by which 
dead bodies are preserved from decay. 
When Jacob died in Egypt, " Joseph com- 
manded his servants, the physicians, to 
embalm his father, for buiial in Ca- 
naan." The process occupied forty days. 
Joseph also was himself embalmed, that 
his body might be carried with the 
children of Israel when they left Egypt for 
Palestine. Gen. 50:2, 3, 26. It does not 
appear that the Hebrews practiced the mode 
of embalming of the Egyptians. Still some 
partial process was employed, tending to 
soothe surviving friends by arresting or de- 
laying natural corruption. Thus Asa was 
laid in a bed " filled with sweet odors and 
divers kinds of spices prepared by the 
apothecaries' art." 2 Chron, 16 : 14. Also the 
women who had followed Jesus "bought 
sweet spices, that they might come and 
anoint him," Mark 16 : 1 ; Luke 23 : 56 ; and 
Nicodemus "brought a mixture of myrrh 
and aloes," and "wound" the body "in 
hnen clothes with the spices, as the man- 
ner of the Jews is to bury." John 19 : 39, 
40. In some instances, too, the later Jews 
embalmed a body in honey, after having 
covered it with wax. See Bissell, Bib. Antiq. 

Emerald. Perhaps the glowing. Avery 
precious gem of a pure green color, to which 
it owes its cliief value, as the deepest col- 
ors are the most esteemed, Ex. 28 : 18 ; 
Ezek. 27 : 16 ; 28 : 13. The emerald was an- 
ciently obtained from Egypt. Probably it 
corresponds to the carbuncle. 

Emerods. 1 Sam. 5 : 6, 9. R. V. "tu- 
mours." The name of a painful disease 
sent upon the Philistines ; probably it re- 
sembled the modern disease of the bleed- 
ing piles. It was customary with the 
heathens to offer to their gods figures of 
wax or metal representing the parts which 
had been cured of disease, whence It is in- 
ferred, in connection with 1 Sam. 6 :5, that 
the priests and diviners of the Phihstines 
recommended a similar course. 

Emims (e'mimz), R. V. "the Emim" 
{e'mim), terrors. A race of giants living 
east of the Dead Sea ; related to the Ana- 
kim. Gen. 14 : 5 ; Deut. 2 : 10, 11. 

Emmanuel. See Immanuel. 

Emmaus {em-md'us or em'ma-us), hot 
springs. A village near Jerusalem, where 
two disciples entertained Jesus after his 
resurrection. Luke 24 : 13. Its site has 
been disputed ; among the places suggested 
are : 1. 'Amwds, on the plain of PhiUstia, 22 
miles from Jerusalem and 10 miles from 
Lydda. 2. Kuryet el 'Enab, by Robinson, 
3 hours from Jerusalem, on the road to 
Jaffa. 3. Kulonieh, 2 leagues or 4^^ miles 
west of Jerusalem. 4. Urtds, a poor village 
about 2 miles southwest of Bethlehem. 5. 
In the fourteenth century Emmaus was 
placed at Kubeiheh, a little over 7 miles 
northwest of Jerusalem. 

Endor (In'dor or in'dor), spring of Dor. 
A place in Issachar, possessed by Manasseh, 
Josh. 17 : 11, where Sisera ahd Jabin were 



slain, Ps. 83 : 9, 10, and where Saul con- 
sulted the witch. 1 Sam. 28 : 7. It is now 
a miserable village called Enddr, about 6% 
miles from Jezreel. 

Engedi {Sn-ge'dl or Sn'ge-di), fountain of 
the kid. A place in Judah, on the west side 
of the Dead Sea, Josh. 15 : 62 ; Ezek. 47 : 10, 
about midway between its northern and 
southern ends. En-gedi was first called 
Hazazon-tamar, Gen. 14 : 7 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 2 ; 
it was David's hiding-place from Saul, 1 
Sam. 23 : 29 ; 24 : 1 ; and where David cut 
off the skirt of Saul's robe, 24 : 4 ; its vine- 
yards are mentioned. Song of Sol. 1 : 14 ; 
now called 'Ain Jidy, 

Enoch {e'nok), initiating or initiated, i. e., 
dedicated. 1. A son of Cain. Gen. 4 : 17, 
18. 2. One of the most eminent of the an- 
tediluvian patriarchs, the son of Jared and 
father of Methuselah. He has this remark- 
able testimony, " that he walked with 
God ; " an expression denoting near com- 
munion with the Lord, and conformity to 
his will. And " he was not ; for God took 
him," that is, like Elijah in subsequent 
times, " he was translated that he should 
not see death." His life was,for the period in 
which he hved, a short one upon earth, 365 
years ; but it was a hfe of faith, pleasing in 
the eye of his Maker. Gen. 4 : 18-24 ; Luke 
3 : 37 ; Heb. 11 : 5. Jude cites a prophecy of 
Enoch. . Heb. 14. In 1 Chron. 1 :3, Enoch 
is called Hanoch. 

Enon, or -^Enon (e'non), springs. A place 
near SaMm where John was baptizing. 
John 3 : 23. Three sites have been proposed 
for it : 1. The traditional one, by Jerome, 
about 8 miles south of Beisan ; not con- 
firmed by later authorities. 2. In Wady 
Farah, 5 miles northeast of Jerusalem. 3. 
The more probable site is east of Nablfts, 
near the village S4Um, where there are 
copious springs. 

En-rogel {en'r 6' gel), fountain of the fuller. 
A spring near Jerusalem. Josh. 15 : 7 ; 18 : 
16 ; 2 Sam. 17 : 17, 21 ; 1 Kings 1 : 9. Some 
place it at the " well of Job," in the valley 
of Hinnom. M. Ganneau would identify 
it with the Fountain of the Virgin. 

Epaphroditus (e-pdf'ro-dl'tus), Venus- 
like, beautiful. A Christian who was sent 
from Philippi with contributions for Paul, 
while prisoner at Rome. There he was 
sick ; and a delightful view is afforded of 
the apostle's tenderness of spirit by the 
way in which he speaks of one so dear to 
himself, and to the Phihppian behevers. 
Phil. 2 : 25-30 ; 4 : 18. He was the bearer of 
the epistle to Philippi. Some have imag- 
ined that he was identical with Epaphras, 
because the one name is a contracted!^ form 
of the other ; but we have no sufficient 
grounds for such a conclusion. 

Epliah. See Measures. 

Ephesians {e-fe'zhanz). The citizens of 
Ephesus. Acts 19 : 28. The Epistle to the 
Ephesians was written by Paul to the Chris- 
tians at Ephesus; The church in that re- 
nowned city was established and built up 
under Paul's ministry, Acts 18 : 19, 21 ; 19, 
during the years 54-57 a. d. This letter was 
written by the apostle about a. d. 62, while 
he was in prison at Rome, and forwarded 



EPHESUS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ESAU 



by Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful 
minister. Eph. 6 : 21. "While other epistles 
of Paul were evidently called forth by the 
circumstances of the church to which'they 
were addressed, this epistle is of a general 
character, and was intended for a number 
of congregations in Asia Minor. The main 
doctrinal thought of the epistle is the 
church in Christ Jesus, the eternal princi- 
ples of her life, her unity of many mem- 
bers, her warfare and her victorj', her steady 
growth and her glorious end. Hence, ia 
the hortatory portion or last three chapters, 
he urges the duty of preserving unity, and 
makes the relation of Christ to his church 
and of the church to Christ the ideal stand- 
ard of the domestic relation between man 
and -wife and parents and clnldren. 

Ephesus {efe-sus). The commercial city 
of Asia Minor, "one of the eyes of Asia." 
It stood upon the south side of a plain, with 
mountains on three sides and the sea on 
the west. The river Cayster ran across the 
plain. Paul visited Ephesus on his second 
tour, Acts 18 : 19-21 ; ApoUos was instructed 
there by Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 18 : 24-26 
Paul dwelt there three years. Acts 19 
charged the elders of the chiurch. Acts 20 
16-28 ; the angel of the church of Ephesus 
is named in Rev. 2 : 1-7. The city is now 
desolate : the ruins of the stadium and 
theatre remain. 

Epliod. A vestment appropriated to the 
high priest. Ex. 28 : 4-35. See High Priest. 
An ephod is said to have been worn by 
Samuel, 1 Sam. 2 : 18, by the ordinary priests, 
1 Sam. 22 : 18, and by David, 2 Sam. 6 : 14 ; 
1 Chron. 15 : 27 ; but this vesture differed 
from the high priest's, both in the extraor- 
dinarj' ornaments of the latter, and also in 
the material. The hnen of the high priest's 
ephod is described by another and pecu- 
liar word. When idolatrous worship was 
Bet up, ephods were sometimes made for it. 
Judg. 8 : 27 ; 17 : 5 ; 18 : 14, 17, 18, 20. 

Ephraiin {e'fra-im), double land, two-fold 
increase, very fruifful. The second son of 
Joseph, bom in Egypt before the famine, 
Gen. 41 : 50-52, and therefore upwards of 20 
at Jacob's death. Joseph, when he was ap- 
prised of his father's sickness, was anxious 
to obtain the recognition of lais sons Manas- 
seh and Ephraim. Jacob adopted them as 
patriarchs, or heads of tribes, equally with 
his own sons. But he placed the younger, 
Ephraim, before the elder, Manasseh, " guid- 
ing his hands wittingly," in spite of Jo- 
seph's remonstrance, and prophetically de- 
claring that the posterity of Ephraim should 
be far greater and more powerful than 
the posterity of Manasseh. Gen. 48. The 
territory of Ephraim lay In the centre of 
Canaan, south of Mana'sseh and north of 
Benjamin and Dan, extending from the 
Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. It was 
about 55 miles long, and about 30 miles in 
its greatest breadth. It was well watered 
and fertile, fulfilUng the blessing of Moses 
in Deut. 33 : 13-16. 

Ephraim, Gate of. One of the gates of 
ancient Jerusalem, 2 Kings 14 : 13 ; 2 Chron. 
25 : 23 ; Neh. 8 : 16 ; 12 : 39 ; probably on the 
jiorth side, as the present Damascus gate is. 

84 



Ephraim, Mount. A name applied to 
the hill-country of Ephraim, extending 
from Bethel to the plain of Jezreel ; called 
also the " mountains of Israel," R. V. " hill 
country of Israel," Josh. 11 : 21, and " moun- 
tains of Samaria." Jer. 31 : 5, 6 ; Amos 3 : 9. 

Ephraim, Wood or. A forest in which 
the great battle was fought when Absalom 
was killed. 2 Sam. 18 : 6. It lay east of the 
Jordan, in Gilead, near Mahanaun. Thick 
woods of oaks and terebinths still exist in 
that region. 

E p li r a t a li {?fra-tah, or e-frd-tah), or 
E p h r a t h (e/ rath, or e'frath), fruitful. 1. 
Second wife of Caleb, the son of Hezron, 
mother of Hur and grandmother of Caleb, 
the spv, according to 1 Chron. 2 : 19, 50, and 
probably 24, and 4:4. B. c. 1695. 2. The 
ancient name of Bethlehem-judah. Gen. 
35 : 16, 19 ; 48 : 7. 

Epicureans {?p'i-ku-re'anz, or &p'i-ku're- 
anz). A sect of philosophers which derived 
its origin from Epicurus, of Athenian de- 
scent, but born in Samos 341 b. c. He 
hved much in Athens, where he had a 
garden in which he dehvered his lessons to 
his disciples ; he died 270 b. c. In his ethics 
Epicurus denied that there was a creator 
of the world ; still he believed that there 
were gods, to be worshipped for the excel- 
lence of their nature : they Uved in quiet, 
and did not interfere withthe government 
of the universe. He made good and evil 
depend on the increasing of pleasure and 
diminishing of pain, or the reverse ; es- 
teeming the pleasures and pains of the mind 
superior to those of the body, so that a 
happy life must be a virtuous Ufe. The 
soul, he taught, was indissolubly connected 
with the body. Hence it will be seen that 
the dogmas of Epicureanism were strongly 
in opposition to the truths of the gospel 
Consequently the Epicureans at Athens, 
though differing from the Stoics in the re- 
jection of absolute destiny, and on other 
points, yet equally with them ridiculed the 
doctrines of Paul. Acts 17 : 18, 

Erastus {e-rds'tus), amiable. A Christian 
chamberlain or treasurer of Corinth. Acts 
19 : 22 ; Rom. 16 : 23 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 20. It is im- 
possible to say whether these references all 
belong to the' same person. 

Erech {e!rek), enduring. A city of Nim- 
rod. Gen. 10 : 10. Its people are called 
Archevites and noticed in connection with 
the Babylonians. Ezra 4 : 9. Jerome iden- 
tifies Erech with Edessa, in Mesopotamia ; 
others identify it with Orchoe or Orech of 
the Greek and Roman geographers. It 
corresponded to modem Warka, about 120 
miles southeast of Babylon. 

Esar-liaddon {e'sar-hdd'don), son and 
successor of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, 
and one of the greatest of her kings. 2 
Kings 19 : 37. He was the builder of magnifi- 
cent structures, including three palaces and 
thirty temples. His reigii extended from 
B.C. 680 to 667, and during it Manasseh, the 
king of Judah, was taken prisoner by his 
captains and carried before him at Baby- 
lon, and kept a captive for some time. 2 
Chron. 33 : 11. 

Esau (Je'saw), or £doixi {efdom). Son of 



ESHCOL 



OF THE BIBLE. 



EUNUCH 



Isaac and Rebecca, and twin brother of 
Jacob. Gen. 25 : 25 ; 36 : 1. The most im- 
portant events of his life are intimately- 
connected with the hfe of Jacob. See Ja- 
cob. His family settled on Mount Seir, 
east of Jordan, which was hence called 
Edom, and his descendants were the Edom- 
ites, one of the most powerful and formid- 
able nations of that age. The -prophecies 
concerning Esau and Edom have been lit- 
erally fulfilled. His family has become ex- 
tinct, " cut off forever," so that there is none 
"remaining of the house of Esau," Obad. 
18 ; Jer. 49 : 17 ; Ezek. 25 : 13, and " the things 
of Esau " have been "so searched out and 
his hidden things sought up," Obad. 6, " that 
not a relic can be found in their ancient 
dwelUngs." See Edom. 

Eslicol (Ssh'kdl), bunch, or cluster, Valley 
of. A valley in the land of Canaan. Num. 
13 : 23, 24 ; 32 : 9 ; Deut. 1 : 24. It was in the 
southern part of this land where Van Len- 
nep found clusters of grapes 18 inches in 
length, and it is said that bunches weigh- 
ing from 12 to 20 pounds are still found in 
southern Palestine. 

Esther (Ss'ter), a star, the planet Venus. 
A Hebrew maiden, the daughter of Abi- 
hail, of the tribe of Benjamin. At the 
death of her father and mother she was 
adopted by her cousin Mordecai, the de- 
scendant of a Jew who had been carried 
away captive with Jehoiachin. Mordecai 
resided at Shushan, or Susa. See Morde- 
cai. On the repudiation of Vashti, Ahas- 
uerus, king of Persia, ordered a large num- 
ber of yovmg virgins to be collected through- 
out his realm, and brought into his harem. 
Esther (her Persian name was Hadassah) 
was distinguished among these, and was 
chosen to bear the title of queen. By her 
influence the plot of Haman to destroy the 
Jews was frustrated. Haman was hanged. 
The Jews revenged themselves on their 
foes, and Mordecai was advanced to a high 
place in the empire. It was common with 
Persian kings to have many wives, and 
Esther was one of these. 

Esther, the Book of. This book is so 
termed because Esther is the principal char- 
acter in it, and not from any notion that 
she wrote it. It has generally been held 
in hi^h estimation among the Jews, who 
class it with Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Solomon's 
Song, and the Lamentations, as the five 
megilloth or rolls, and solemnly read it at 
the feast of Purim. Its literary character 
is fully equal to the best of the other his- 
torical books of the Bible. The style is 
lively and almost dramatic. But the pe- 
culiarity of the book is that the name of 
God does not occur in any form. The 
omission was probably intentional, and in 
order to permit the reading of Esther at 
the joyous, even hilarious, festival of Pu- 
rim, without irreverence. The language 
of the book contains several Persian words, 
translated " satrap," " post," " edict," " roy- 
al " (not " camel; " 8 : 10, and 14 read " swift 
steeds that were used in the king's ser- 
vice, bred of the stud," R. V.), "cotton," 
"crown," "nobles," "a copy," and "lot." 
The circumstantial minuteness of detail, 
6 



the vividness of the portraits, the Persian 
words, and the whole tone of the book in- 
dicate that the author was a Jew who 
lived about the time of the events recorded, 
at the court of Persia, where he had access 
to the ofl&cial documents of the kingdom. 
Rawhnson assigns the book to a period 
from 20 to 30 years after Xerxes's death, 
B. C. 444-434. 

Etaixi (e'tam), the Rock. The place of 
Samson's retreat after the slaughter of the 
Philistines. Judg. 15 : 8, 11. Conder locates 
it at Beit 'Atab, a httle north of Eshu'a 
(Eshtaol), which he thinks fully meets all 
the requisites of the case. It has clefts, 
caves, and a rock tunnel which would so 
eiTectually conceal one that those not ac- 
quainted with the place might not find 
him, nor even the entrance to the tunnel, 
except by accident. 

Ethiopia {e'thi-o'pi-ah), burnt-faces. 
Called Cush by the Hebrews, a country 
south of Egypt. 'Ezek. 29 : 10. In the Scrip- 
tures "Ethiopia" usually refers to the re- 
gion extending from Egypt southward be- 
yond the junction of the White and Blue 
Nile. This was Seba, Isa. 43 : 3, and known 
to the Romans as the kingdom of Meroe. 
The country is rolhng and mountainous, 
the elevation increasing toward the south, 
until it reaches a height of about 8000 feet 
in Abyssinia. Frequent notices of this 
country and its people are found in the 
Bible. It was settled by the children of 
Ham, Gen. 10 : 6, dark-skinned men of stat- 
ure. Jer. 13 : 23 ; Isa. 45 : 14. They were 
selected as members of royal households. 
Jer. 38 : 7-13. The treasurer of its queen, 
Candace. was baptized by Philip. Acts 8 : 
27-38. It is noticed in connection with 
Egypt, Isa. 20 : 4 ; 43 : 3 ; 45 : 14 ; with 
Libya (Phut), Jer. 46 : 9 : Lydia and Chub 
(Lub and Lud), Ezek. 30 : 5, and the Suk- 
kiim. 2 Chron. 12 : 3. Moses married an 
Ethiopian, Num. 12 : 1 ; Ethiopians were in 
Shishak's anny, 2 Chron. 12 : 3 ; Zerah, an 
Ethiopian king, had an army of a million 
soldiers, 2 Chron. 14 : 9-12 ; Job mentioned 
the precious stones of Ethiopia, Job 28 : 19 ; 
the Israelites were familiar with the mer- 
chandise of that country, Isa. 45 : 14 ; and 
Isaiah foretold the subjugation of Ethiopia 
by the Assyrians. Isa. 20 : 4, 5. Among 
the Assyrian inscriptions of Assurbanipal, 
now in the British Museum, George Smith 
deciphered several which especially illus- 
trate and confirm the fulfillment of this 
prophecy. Among other prophecies in re- 
spect to Ethiopia are Ps. 68 : 31 ; 87 : 4 ; Isa. 
45 : 14 ; Ezek. 30 : 4-9 ; Dan. 11 : 43 ; Hab. 3 : 
7 ; Zeph. 2 : 12 ; Nah. 3 : 8-10. The Romans 
in the reign of Augustus Csesar, b.c. 22, de- 
feated Candace, queen of Ethiopia, and 
made the country tributary to Rome. Can- 
dace was an official tifle of the queens, one 
of whom is named in Acts 8 : 27. 

Eunuch. 2 Kings 9 : 32 ; Esther 2:3; Acts 
8 : 27. In the strict and proper sense eu- 
nuchs were the persons who had charge of 
the bed-chambers in palaces and larger 
houses. But as the jealous and dissolute 
temperament of the East required this 
charge to be in the hands of persons who 

85 



EUPHRATES 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



EXODUS, THE 



had been deprived of their virility, the 
word eunuch came naturally to denote 
persons in that condition. But as some of 
these rose to be confidential advisers of 
their royal masters or mistresses, the word 
was occasionally employed to denote per- 
sons in such a position, without indicating 
anything respecting their manhood. The 
word "eunuch" is employed by Christ, Matt. 
19:12, in various senses to designate: 1. 
Those who are naturally incapacitated ; 2. 
Those who have been niutilated ; 3. Those 
who voluntarily abstain from marriage in 
order to devote themselves more exclusively 
to the interests of the kingdom of God. 

Euphrates (eu-frd'tez), the abounding. 
A noted river, the largest in western Asia ; 
rises in Armenia in two sources. Its whole 
length is 1780 miles. It is navigable for 
large ships to Bassora, 70 miles above its 
mouth ; a steamer drawing four feet of wa- 
ter has ascended to Bir, 1197 miles. It 
flows in a broad, deep current, filled to the 
level of its banks, and at Babylon is con- 
siderably less than a mile in width. For 
the last 800 miles of its course it does not 
receive a single tributary. The Tigris flows 
in a narrower channel, with deeper banks 
and a less rapid current. The country be- 
tween the two rivers slopes toward the Ti- 
gris, and thus greatly favors the draining 
off of the superfluous waters of the Eu- 
phrates. In Scripture the Euphrates is 
named as one of the rivers of Eden, Gen. 
2 : 14 ; called " the great river," Gen. 15 : 18 ; 
Deut. 1:7; noted as the eastern boundary 
of the Promised Land, Deut. 11 : 24 ; Josh. 
1:4; 1 Chron. 5:9; and of David's con- 
quests, 2 Sam. 8 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 3 ; of those 
of Babylon from Egypt, 2 Kings 24 : 7 ; is 
referred to in prophecy, Jer. 13 : 4-7 ; 46 : 2- 
10 ; 51 : 63 ; and in Rev. 9 : 14 ; 16 : 12. In 
upward of 26 other passages it is spoken of 
as " the river." By this stream the captive 
Jews wept. Ps. 137 : 1. It is now called the 
Frat by the natives. 

Eiiroclydon (eu-rdk'ly-d6n), R. V. " Eu- 
raquilo." Acts 27 : 14. A very tempestuous 
wind on the Mediterranean, now known 
under the name of a " Levanter." It blows 
from all points, and its danger results from 
its violence and the uncertainty of its 
course. 

Evangelist. One who brings good tid- 
ings. One who travels as a missionary 
everywhere and from house to house to 
teach and preach Jesus Christ. Eph. 4 : 11 ; 
Acts 21 : 8 ; 2 Tim. 4:5; Acts 5 : 42 ; 8 : 4, 35, 
40, etc. The "work of an evangelist," 2 
Tim. 4 : 5, seems to have been specially the 
carrying of the gospel-message to persons 
and places previously unacquainted with 
it. Hence, one bearing another office might 
be an evangeUst. Thus Philip, "one of 
the seven," is called an " evangelist." Acts 
21 : 8. Evangehsts are distinguished from 
"pastors and teachers," and placed before 
them in Eph. 4 ; 11, as being itinerant ; 
whereas pastors and teachers belonged 
more to a settled church ; they are omitted 
in the hst of 1 Cor. 12 : 28 ; because no ref- 
erence was there made to missionary ex- 
tension of the church, but rather to its in- 



ternal organization, Eusebius speaks of 
evangehsts as both preaching Christ and 
circulating ihe record of the holy gospels. 
Hence, probably, the ordinary usage of the 
word evangelists to denote the writers of 
the four Gospels. 

Eve (eve), /ife. The wife of Adam, and 
mother of mankind. Her formation, her 
yielding to the tempter, and inducing 
Adam to join her in disobedience to the 
divine command, the promise in respect to 
her seed, and the names she imposed on 
three of her sons, indicating her exi)ecta- 
tions and feeling in regard to them, are 
narrated in Gen. 2, 3, 4. See also 2 Cor. 11 : 
3 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 13, 14. 

Evening, Ps. 55 : 17, Even-tide, Gen. 
24 : 63. The Hebrews reckoned two even- 
ings, one commencing at sunset and em- 
bracing the period of twihght, and the 
other commencing at dark. Some suppose 
that the first evening commenced as early 
as 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and the sec- 
ond at sunset. It was in the interval be- 
tween the two evenings, at whichever of 
these periods it occurred, that the passover 
was to be killed and the daily sacrifice of- 
fered. See marginal reading of Ex. 12 : 6 ; 
Num. 9 : 3 ; 28 : 4. " Even-tide " is the same 
with "evening-time." 

Evil-ntierodacli {e'vil-me-ro'dak), Mero- 
dach's fool. But perhaps some name of 
Persian or Assyrian origin underhes this. 
The son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar. 
He reigned two years, 561-559 B.C., and was 
murdered by Nergal-sharezer or Nerighssar, 
who had married his sister, and who seized 
his crown. He treated Jehoiachin with 
kindness : and possibly his mildness of rule 
may have given opportunity to the treason 
which cut him off. 2 Kings 25 : 27-30 ; Jer. 
52 : 31-34. But some authorities report him 
to have been luxurious and intemperate. 

Exodus (Sx'o-dus), going out [of Egypt], 
The second book in the Old Testament, 
Its author was Moses. It was written prob- 
ably during the forty years' wanderings in 
the wilderness. The first part of the book 
gives an account of the great increase of 
Jacob's posterity in the land of Egypt, and 
their oppression under a new dynasty, 
which occupied the throne after the death 
of Joseph ; the birth, education, flight and 
return of Moses ; the attempts to prevail 
upon Pharaoh to let the IsraeUtes go ; the 
signs and wonders, ending in the death of 
the first-born, by means of which the de- 
liverance of Israel from the land of bond- 
age is at length accomphshed, the institu- 
tion of the passover, and the departure out 
of Egypt and the journey of the IsraeUtes 
to Mount Sinai. The second part gives a 
sketch of the early history of Israel as a 
nation, set apart, and in its religious and 
political hfe consecrated to the service of 
God. 

Exodus, the. The departure of the Is- 
raelites from Egypt. The Exodus was the 
execution of a divine plan. God sent ten 
plagues upon Egypt in punishment for en- 
slaving the Israelites. "And Pharaoh rose 
up in the night, he and all his servants, and 
all the Egyptians ; and there was a great cry 



EYE, EYES 



OF THE BIBLE. 



EZRA 



in Egypt, for there was not a house where 
there was not one dead." Then followed 
the midnight call of Pharaoh for Moses 
and Aaron, the command to depart, and the 
actual leaving of the house of bondage. 
There are two prominent theories about tne 
locaUty and mode of the miraculous pas- 
sage of the Israelites through the Red Sea : 
1. The usual theory, which locates the pas- 
sage several miles south of Suez, where the 
sea is about ten miles broad. This theory 
fits in best with the literal meaning of the 
narrative, for in this case the waters must 
have been actually divided for several 
miles, and have flowed back on either 
hand. But the diflaculties the view raises 
are more numerous than those it solves. 2. 
The second theory puts the crossing at the 
head of the gulf, near or some distance 
north of Suez. In Moses's time the gulf 
may have extended as a reedy marsh as far 
as the Bitter Lakes. The crossing was made 
possible by a special providence and a mi- 
raculous adaptation of the laws of nature. 
The east or rather northeast wind drove off 
the waters from the small arm of the sea 
which runs up by Suez ; this would leave 
the water on the more northern part of 
the arm, so that there would be water on 
both sides to serve as an entrenchment. 
This would meet the exigences of the nar- 
rative. Ex. 14 : 22. But even in this case 
the passage of two milhons of people, with 
all their cattle, was a great miracle. It 
has its counterpart in the crossing of the 
river Jordan at the end of the journey 
through the wilderness. 

Eye, Eyes. The practice of putting out 
the eyes as a mode of punishment has been 
in both ancient and modem times very 
common in the East. Captives in war, and 
those who might be supposed likely to 
head rebelUons against the sovereign were 
frequently thus treated. Judg. 16 : 21 ; 1 
Sam. 11 : 2 ; 2 Kings 25 : 7. The painting 
of the eye was and is usual among Eastern 
women. This was what Jezebel did, 2 
Kings 9 : 30, marg., R. V. " painted her 
eyes;" comp. Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 23:40. A 
peculiar brilliancy is imparted to the eye, 
and a languishing, amorous cast given to 
the whole countenance. The eyehds and 
eyebrows are thus painted with what is 
called k6hl. " The powder from which kdhZ 
is made is collecteo. from burning ahnond- 
shells, or frankincense, and is intensely 
black. Antimony and various ores of lead 
are also employed. The powder is kept in 
vials or pots, which are often disposed in 
a handsomely worked cover or case ; and 
it is apphed to the eye by a small probe of 
wood, ivory or silver, which is called med, 
while the whole apparatus is named ntilk- 
hUly." 

Ezekxel {e-ze'ld-eV), tlie strength of God. A 
prophet wno was taken captive eleven 
years before the destruction of Jerusalem. 
He was a member of a community of Jew- 
ish exiles who settled on the banks of the 
Chebar, a " river " of Babylonia. He began 
to prophesy b. c. 595, and continued until 
B. c. 573, a period of more than 22 years. 
He was married and had a house, Ezek. 8 : 



1 ; 24 : 18, in his place of exile, and lost his 
wife by a sudden and unforeseen stroke. 
He was esteemed by his companions in ex- 
ile, and their elders consulted him on all 
occasions. He is reputed to have been mur- 
dered in Babylon, and his tomb, said to 
have been built by Jehoiachin, is shown, a 
few days' journey from Bagdad. Ezekiel 
was noted for his stern and inflexible en- 
ergy of will and character and his devoted 
adherence to the rites and ceremonies of 
his national rehgion. 

The Book of Ezekiel. — The book of his 
prophecy is divided into parts, of which 
the destruction of Jerusalem is the turning- 
point. Chapters 1-24 contain predictions 
deUvered before that event, and chaps. 
25-48 after it, as we see from chap. 26 : 2. 
Again chaps. 1-32 are mainly occupied 
with correction, denunciation and reproof, 
while the remainder deal chiefly in conso- 
lation and promise. A parenthetical sec- 
tion in the middle of the book, chaps. 25- 
32, contains a group of prophecies against 
seven foreign nations, the septenary arrange- 
ment being apparently intentional. There 
are no direct quotations from Ezekiel in 
the New Testament, but in the Apocalypse 
there are many parallels and obvious allu- 
sions to the later chapters. 

Ezion-gaber {e'zi-on-gd'ber), or geber 
(ge-ber), giant's backbone. A city on the 
Red Sea, the last station of the Israehtes 
before they came to the wilderness of 
Zin, Num. 33 : 35 ; Deut. 2:8; the station 
of Solomon's navy, 1 Kings 9 : 26 ; 2 
Chron. 8 : 17, and of Jehoshaphat's navy. 
1 Kings 22 : 48. Probably it was at 'Ain el- 
Ghudy^n, about ten miles up what is now 
the dry bed of the Arabah. Kiepert and 
Robinson suppose that the northern end of 
the gulf anciently flowed up to this point. 

Ezra (Bz'rah). help. 1. A descendant of 
Judah. 1 Chroh. 4 : 17. 2. A Jewish priest 
and scholar who Uved in Babylon during 
the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, over 
whom he had such influence that in his 
seventh year he obtained permission to lead 
a large company of persons and go to Je- 
rusalem, B.C. 457. Ezra 7. In Jerusalem 
he carried through the reforms he had in- 
tended, particularly the separation of the 
"strange wives." Ezra 10. With an ac- 
count of this important measure the book 
of Ezra ends. The next notice of him 
is in Neh. 8 : 1. Nehemiah was governor 
when Ezra entered Jerusalem the second 
time ; accordingly, Ezra attended only to 
priestly duties, such as teaching. Neh. 8 : 
1. It is unknown when he died. Jewish 
tradition makes him the founder of the 
great synagogue, the collector of the books 
of the Bible, the introducer of the Chaldee 
character instead of the old Hebrew, the 
author of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, 
and lastly, the originator of synagogue 
worship. And it is very likely that he was 
the author of these changes, or at all events 
that they occurred In his time. The book 
of Ezra covers about 79 years, and should 
be read in connection with the prophecies 
of Haggai and Zechariah. It contains (1) 
chaps. 1-6, an account of the return of 

87 



PACE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



FASTS 



60,000 Jews under Zerubbabel in the first 
year of Cyrus, the rebuilding of the tem- 
ple, and the interference of the Samaritans ; 
(2) chaps. 7-10^ the history of Ezra's immi- 
gration and his reforms, particularly in re- 
gard to the strange wives. The book of 
Ezra is written in Chaldee from chap. 4 : 8 
to 6 : 19, narrating the attempt of the Sa- 
maritaus to hinder the building of the 
temple, and from the beginning of chap. 7 
to the 27th verse. The people recently re- 
turned from the captivity were more con- 
versant with the Chaldee than even with 
the Hebrew tongue. Ezra is the author- of 
at least the greater part of the book. The 
date may be given as b. c. 456. 

F 

Face. Most of the combinations into 
wliich this word enters are intelhgible 
enough. It may be observed that, as to 
seek any one's face is to seek his favor, or 
admission to his presence, Ps. 27 : 8 ; Prov. 
7 : 15, so to see his face is to see him in 
person. Gen. 48 : 11, to have entrance to his 
court, if he be of high rank, as a king. 
Gen. 43 : 3, 5 ; 2 Sam. 14 : 24, 28, 32 ; hence 
this phrase denoted the royal favor, dignity 
or privilege. Esth. 1 : 14. So to see God's 
face is to find him propitious, to have near- 
ness of access to him. Job 23 : 26 ; Ps. 17 : 
15 ; and this is specially said to be the priv- 
ilege of the holy angels that they see God's 
face. Matt. 18 : 10 ; Luke 1 : 19. 

Fair Havens. A harbor on the south- 
ern shore of the island of Crete. Acts 27 : 
8-10, 21. It is about midway between the 
eastern and western ends of the island, 
and is still known as Kalous Limionas, or 
" Fair Havens." It is a fair winter harbor, 
though not as good as Phoenice, or Phoenix, 
40 miles westward. 

Faith. Heb. 11 : 7. Faith is distinguished 
from creduhty in that it does not accept 
anything as true which is not based on 
sufficient evidence ; it is contrasted with 
unbeUef in that it accepts whatever is pro- 
posed to it when the testimony thereof is 
adequate. Faith inay be dead, if it be 
merely in the understanding, admitting 
facts as true, but not realizing their bearing 
upon ourselves. Such a faith is that his- 
torical faith, which credits the narrative of 
our Lord's passion and death, but seeks 
not, through them, remission of personal 
guilt. The faith of devils goes farther than 
this ; for they "beUeve and tremble," Jas. 
2 : 19 ; but they find no means of release 
from their apprehended doom. True "faith 
Is the substance (or realizing) of things 
hoped for, the evidence (or sure persuasion) 
of things not seen." Heb. 11 : 1. With 
such a faith " Abraham beheved God ; and 
it was counted unto lum for righteousness." 
Gen. 15 : 6 ; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6. So those 
who believe in Christ, accepting his of- 
fered mercy, relying on his never-forfeited 
word, are for his sake regarded as God's 
children. Hence men are said to be "jus- 
tified by faith." Rom. 3 : 23-26 ; 5 : 1. Faith, 
if genuine, will work by love, Gal. 5 : 6, 

88 



yielding the fruits of a holy life and con- 
versation. Matt. 7 : 20 ; Jas. 2 : 26. There 
are various shades of meaning belonging 
to the word " faith " in Scripture ; some- 
times it means the gospel revelation. Acts 
6:7; Rom. 10 : 8. The precious gift of faith 
and the increase thereof should be earnestly 
sought in humble prayer. Luke 17 : 5 ; Phil, 
1:29. 

Famine. Several famines are noted in 
the Scripture history. Two are mentioned 
as occurring in Canaan in the days of Abra- 
ham and Isaac, compelhng those patriarchs 
to remove to Egypt and to Gerar. Gen. 12 : 
10 ; 26 : 1. Then succeeded that remarkable 
famine which Joseph was enabled to pre- 
dict, and which extended widely over 
Egypt and various other regions. Gen. 41 : 
53-57. A scarcity in Palestine was once oc- 
casioned, Judg. 6 : 4r-6, by the invasion of 
the Midianites, and another (or the same) 
is referred to in Ruth 1 : 1. Others are no- 
ted, sometimes caused by war or bv locusts, 
2 Sam. 21:1; 1 Kings 17:1, 7;'l8:2; 2 
Kings 4 : 38; 8 :1, 2 ; Lam. 5 : 10 ; Joel 1 : 10- 
12, 17, 18. We read in the New Testament, 
Acts 11 : 28, of a famine predicted by a Chris- 
tian prophet named Agabus. Famine is 
sometimes used in a figurative sense; as 
when a worse destitution is described than 
that of bread, a sorer thirst than that for 
water — even a famine of the divine word, 
a thirst because the hving streams of mercy 
flow out no more. Amos 8 : 11-14. 

Fan. An instrument used to separate 
the chaff from the grain. Isa. 30 : 24 ; Jer. 
15 : 7 ; Matt. 3 : 12 ; Luke 3 : 17. The shovel 
in Isaiah is probably something used to sepa- 
rate the grain from the straw. It was per- 
haps a broad scoop by which the corn was 
thrown against the wind, often, doubtless, 
during the evening breeze, Ruth 3 : 2, in 
order that the chaff might be blown 
away. The word translated "fan" in the 
first place above referred to has been 
thought to mean something of a similar 
kind, as a fork, which is still used ta 
Palestine. It was possibly a measure or 
basket, in which to receive the grain, 
"Very httle use," says Dr. Thomson, "is 
now made of the fan ; but I have seen it 
employed to purge tlie floor of the refuse 
dust, which the owner throws away as use- 
less." 

Farthing. Two Greek words are trans- 
lated "farthing'' in the New Testament: 
kodr antes; Roman, quadrans — worth about 
three-eighths of a cent ; Matt. 5 : 26 ; Mark 
12 : 42 ; and assarion ; Roman, xs or as — 
the tenth of a denarius, worth about a cent 
to 1%, cents. 

Fasts. Abstinence from food for rehg- 
ious or spiritual good. Fasts are often men- 
tioned in Scripture. The following account 
is condensed from Smith's larger Diction- 
ary : 1. One fast only was appointed by the 
Mosaic law, that on the day of atonement. 
There is no mention of any other period- 
ical fast in the Old Testament except in 
Zech. 7:1-7; 8 : 19. From these passages it 
appears that the Jews, during their captiv- 
ity, observed four annual fasts— in the 
fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. 2. 



FEASTS 



OP THE BIBLE. 



FIG, FIG TREE 



Public fasts were occasionally proclaimed 
to express national humiliation and to sup- 
plicate divine favor. In the case of public 
danger the proclamation appears to have 
been accompanied with the blowing of 
trumpets. Joel 1 : 14 ; 2 : 15. See 1 Sam. 7:6; 
2 Chron. 20 : 3 ; Jer. 36 :6-10. After the feast 
of tabernacles, when the second temple 
was completed," the children of Israel were 
assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth 
and earth upon them," to hear the law 
read and to confess their sins. Neb. 9 : 1. 
3. Private occasional fasts are recognized 
in one passage of the law — Num. 30 : 13. 
The instances given of individuals fasting 
under the influence of grief, vexation or 
anxiety are numerous. 4. In the New Tes- 
tament the only references to the Jewish 
fasts are the mention of " the fast " in Acts 
27 : 9 (generally underetood to denote the 
day of atonement), and the allusions to the 
weekly fasts. Matt. 9 : 14 ; Mark 2 : 18 ; 
Luke 5 : 33 ; 18 : 12. These fasts originated 
some time after the captivity. 5. The Jew- 
ish fasts were observed with various de- 
grees of strictness. Sometimes there was 
entire abstinence from food. Esth. 4 : 16, 
etc. On other occasions there appears to 
have been only a restriction to a very plain 
diet. Dan. 10 : 3. Those who fasted fre- 
quently dressed in sackcloth or rent their 
clothes, put ashes on their head and went 
barefoot. 1 Kings 21 : 27 ; Neh. 9:1; Ps. 
35:13. 6. The sacrifice of the personal will, 
which gives to fasting all its value, is ex- 
pressed in the old term used in the law, 
afflicting the soul. 

Feasts. Special thanksgivings and peri- 
ods of rejoicing. The religious feasts men- 
^tioned in Scripture fall under three heads : 
* {a) Those properly connected with the in- 
stitution of the Sabbath ; {B) the historical 
or great festivals; (C) the day of atone- 
ment. {A) Immediately connected with 
the Sabbath are : 1. The weekly Sabbath 
itself. 2. The seventh new moon, or feast 
of trumpets. 3. The sabbatical year. 4. 
The year of jubilee. {B) The great feasts 
are — 1. The passover. 2. The feast of pen- 
tecost, of weeks, of wheat har\^est, or of 
the first-fruits. 3. The feast of tabernacles 
or of ingathering. On each of these occa- 
sions every male Israelite was conmianded 
to " appear before the Lord," that is, to at- 
tend in the court of the tabernacle or the 
temple, and to make his offering with a 
joyful heart. Deut. 27:7; Neh. 8:9-12. 
On all the days of holy convocation there 
was to be an entire suspension of ordinary 
labor of all kinds, Ex. 12 : 16 ; Lev. 16 : 29 ; 
23 : 21, 24, 25, 35 ; but on the intervening 
days of the longer festivals work might be 
carried on. The significance of the three 
great festivals is stated in the account of 
the Jewish sacred year. Lev. 23. The times 
of the festivals were evidently appointed 
so as to interfere as Uttle as possible with 
the industry of the people. The religious 
festivals preserved the religious faith of the 
nation and religious unity among the peo- 
ple. They promoted friendly intercourse, 
distributed information through the coun- 
try at a time when the transmission of news 



was slow and imperfect; and imported 
into remote provincial districts a practical 
knowledge of all improvements in arts and 
sciences. After the captivity the feast of 
purim, Esth. 9 : 20 ff. seq., and that of the 
dedication, 1 Mace. 4 : 56, were instituted. 
Jesus went up to Jerusalem at the latter 
feast. John 10: 22. 

FeUx {feflix), happy. A Roman procura- 
tor of Judea appointed by the emperor 
Claudius in a. d. 53. His period of office 
was full of troubles and seditions. Paul 
was brought before Fehx in Csesarea. Paul 
was remanded to prison, and kept there 
two years in hopes of extorting money 
from him. Acts 24 : 26, 27. At the end of 
that time Porcius Festus superseded Felix, 
who, on his return to Rome, was accused 
by the Jews in Csesarea, and would have 
siiffered for his crimes had not his brother 
Pallas prevailed with the emperor Nero to 
spare him. This was probably about a. d. 
60. The wife of Felix was Drusilla, a 
daughter of Herod Agrippa I., who was 
his third wife and whom he persuaded to 
leave her husband and marry him. 

Ferret. Lev. 11 : 30. The animal re- 
ferred to was probably of the hzard tribe ; 
the gecko, R. V. The rabbinical writers 
seem to have identified this animal with 
the hedgehog. 

Festus ifSs'tus). Acts 24 : 27. Porcius 
Festus was appointed by Nero to succeed 
FeUx as procurator of Judea, about 60 or 61 
A. D. Before him Paul had to defend him- 
self, but removed his cause from the pro- 
vincial tribunal by appeal to Caesar. Acts 
24 : 27 ; 25 ; 26. Festus administered his 
government less than two years, and died 
in Judea. 

Fig, Fig Tree. This, Ficus carica, was 
a tree very common in Palestine. Deut. 8 : 
8. Mount OUvet was famous anciently 
for fig trees ; and still some are to be found 
there. The first notice we have of this tree 
is when Adam and Eve endeavored to 
clothe themselves with leaves. Gen. 3 : 7. 
Whether the leaves they used were those 
of the ordinary fig tree may be questioned ; 
but the practice of fastening leaves together 
for various utensils, as baskets, etc., is com- 
mon in the East to the present day. Not 
only was the fresh fruit of the fig tree val- 
ued, but also cakes of figs are mentioned 
in Scripture; e. g.,1 Sam. 25 : 18; 30 : 12. 
These were made either by simple compres- 
sion, or by pounding them into a mass, 
sometimes together with dates. They were 
then cut into cakes, often similar to bricks, 
and hardened by keeping. Twice the fig 
tree is mentioned in the New Testament. 
Our Lord, shortly before his crucifixion, 
being hungry, sought fruit from a fig tree, 
and, finding none, condemned it. Matt. 
21 : 18-20 ; Mark 11 : 12-14, 20. It was 
early in the season, not the ordinarj'- time 
for figs ; but yet, as the fruit precedes the 
leaves, and there were leaves on this tree, 
figs might naturally have been expected on 
it ; and, as there were then none, there was 
proof enough that the pretentious tree 
was worthless. The parable of the fig tree 
spared at the intercession of the dresser of 

89 



FIRMAMENT 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



FLOOD 



the garden, Luke 13 : &-9, is full of instruc- 
tion. There is, it may be added, an ex- 
pressive phrase in which the fig tree is in- 
troduced ; when men are said to sit under 
their own vine and their own fig tree, 1 
Kings 4 : 25 ; Zech. 3 : 10, a state of general 
peace and prosperity is indicated. 

Firmament. In Scriptiu"e the Hebrew 
word denotes an expanse, a wide extent ; 
the great arch or expanse over our heads, 
in which are placed the atmosphere and 
the clouds, and in which the stars appear 
to be placed, and are really seen. 

First-born. Under the law, in a He- 
brew family, the eldest son was regarded 
as devoted to God, and was in every case 
to be redeemed by an offering not exceed- 
ing five shekels, within one month from 
birth. If he died before the expiration of 
30 days, the Jewish doctors held the father 
excused, but Liable to the payment if he 
outlived that time. Ex. 13 : 12-15 ; 22 : 29 ; 
Num. 8:17; 18:15, 16; Lev. 27:6. The 
eldest son received a double portion of the 
father's inheritance, Deut. 21 : 17, but not 
of the mother's. Under the monarchy the 
eldest son usually, but not always, as ap- 
pears in the case of Solomon, succeeded his 
father in the kingdom. 1 Kings 1 : 30 ; 2 : 
22. The male first-bom of animals was also 
devoted to God. Ex. 13 : 2, 12, 13 ; 22 : 29 ; 
34 : 19, 20. Unclean animals were to be re- 
deemed with the addition of one-fifth of 
the value, or else put to death ; or, if not 
redeemed, to be sold, and the price given 
to the priests. Lev. 27 : 13, 27, 28. 

First-fruits. As the first-bom of men 
and fii-sthngs of beasts, so the first-fruits of 
the increase of the land were regarded as 
holv to the Lord. Eom. 8 : 23 ; 11 : 16 ; 1 Cor, 
15 : 20, 23 ; 16 : 15 ; Jas. 1 : 18 ; Rev. 14 : 4. One 
remarkable provision of the law was that 
the Hebrews must not for three years touch 
the produce of any fruit-tree they planted. 
The fourth year of bearing it was conse- 
crated as the first-fruits to the Lord, Lev. 
19 : 23-25 ; in the fifth year it was free for the 
owner's use. This rule is not supposed to 
have appUed to the trees the people found 
on entering Palestine. There were general 
commands as to the offering of the first 
fruits, Ex. 22 : 29 ; 23 : 19 ; 34 : 26, and also 
specified times when such oflferings were to 
be publicly made. The first-fruits of the 
harvest in the sheaf were to be presented at 
the feast of the passover, on the morrow 
after the sabbath. Lev. 23 : 9-14. Till this 
was done, no harvest-work was to be pro- 
ceeded with. At the feast of pentecost the 
first-fruits of the completed harvest in the 
shape of two loaves made of the new flour 
were to be presented. Ex. 34 : 22 ; Lev. 23 : 15- 
17 ; Num. 28 : 26. Besides these pubhc and 
national oblations, there were others of a 
more private and indii-idual kind. Such 
were the first-fruits ofthe dough, Num. 15:20, 
21 ; and ofthe threshing-floor, which Jewish 
writers distinguish into two kinds, the first 
including wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pome- 
granates, olives, and figs; the second oil, 
wine, and other produce which supiK)rted 
human Mfe, also the first of the fleece and 
the hair of goats. No rule was laid down 
90 



in scripture as to the proportion the oflFered 
first-fruits ought to bear to the whole pro- 
duce ; but one-sixtieth is said to be the least ; 
sometimes one-fortieth or one-thirtieth part 
was presented. The address which the 
offerer was to make to God is prescribed in 
Deut. 26 : 1-11. Doubtless in times of national 
declension less regard would be paid to the 
law of the first-miits ; but we find that 
dtuing the various refonns they flowed in 
abundantly. 2 Chron. 31 : 5 ; Neh. 10 : 35, 37 ; 
comp. Ezek. 20 : 40 ; 48 : 14. The first-fruits 
generally became the ixjrtion of the priests 
and Levites, to be eaten by them and their 
famihes. Niun. 18 : 12 ; Deut. 18 : 4 ; Ezek. 44 : 
30. In Israel after the schism they were 
sometimes offered to the prophets. 2 Kings 
4:42. 

Fir Tree. Probably the Aleppo pine 
{PintLS halepensis), which is almost as large 
as the cedar, is now found on Lebanon, and 
was formerly doubtless abundant through 
Palestine. Hos. 14 : 8. Sometimes the cypress 
and jimiper may have been included under 
this name, as well as other pines found here. 

Fitches. This word occurs in Isa. 28 : 25, 
27. It would seem to be the black cummin, 
Nigella sativa, used for both food and medi- 
cine. The seed is aromatic, and of a sharp 
taste. This plant was beaten out with a 
staff, because the heavy drag would have 
crushed the seeds. The " fitches " of Ezek. 
4 : 9 was spelt. 

Flood. One of the most remarkable 
events in the history of our world. The 
bibhcal narrative is ^ven in Gen. 6-8. The 
scripture account of it says, " And I, behold, 
I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, 
to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of 
life, from under heaven ; every thing that 
is in the earth shall die." Gen. 6 : 17 ; comp. 
7 : 4, 21, 23. '* And all the high mountains 
that were under the whole heaven wei"e 
covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the 
waters prevail : and the mountains were 
covered. . . . And every living thing was 
destroyed which was upon the face of the 
ground, both man, and cattle, and creep- 
ing things, and fowl of the heaven ; and 
they were destroyed from the earth ; and 
Noah only was left, and they that were 
with him in the ark." Gen. 7 : 19-23, R. V. 
There is no fact in history better attested, 
independent of the word of God, than the 
flood ; and none more universally acknowl- 
edged by all nations, accounts of it being 
in their legends. Many evidences of some 
such great catastrophe exist at the present 
day. The highest mountains in every part 
of "the earth furnish proofs that the sea has 
spread over them, shells, skeletons of fish 
aud sea monsters being found on them. 
The universahty of a flood is shown by 
the fact that the remains of animals are 
found buried far from their native regions. 
Elephants and skeletons of whales have 
been found bxmed in England ; mammoths 
near the north pole; crocodiles in Germany, 
etc. It is well to bear in mind that God has 
said, "I will establish my covenant with 
you ; neither shaU all flesh be cut oflf any 
more by the waters of the flood ; neither 
shall there any more be a flood to destroy the 



FOOD 



OF THE BIBLE 



FRANKINCENSE 



earth." Gen. 9:11,15. And also has said, 
" The world that then was, being overflowed 
with water, perished : but the heavens that 
now are, and the earth, by the same word 
have been stored up for fire, being reserved 
against the day of judgment, ... in the 
which the heavens shall pass away with a 
great noise, and the elements shall be dis- 
solved with fervent heat, and the earth and 
the works that are therein shall be burned 
up." 2 Pet. 3 : 5-10. There is an abundance 
of material stored up in the earth and in 
the atmosphere to produce such a combus- 
tion at any moment. 

Food. The diet of the ancients may be 
learned from that of oriental people now. 
Vegetable food is more used than animal. 
Bread was the principal food ; preparations 
of corn were, however, common. The He- 
brews used a great variety of articles, John 
21 : 5, to give a relish to bread. Milk holds 
a conspicuous place in eastern diet ; gener- 
ally in the form of the modem leben, i. e., sour 
milk, and " butter ; " Gen. 18 : 8 ; Judg. 5 : 25 ; 
2 Sam. 17 : 29. Fruit was another source of 
diet ; figs were generally dried and pressed 
into cakes. Grapes were eaten in a dried state 
as raisins. Of vegetables we have most fre- 
quent notice of lentils, beans, leeks, onions 
and garlic, which were and still are of a su- 
perior quality in Egypt. Num. 11 : 5. Honey 
is extensively used, as is also olive oil. The 
orientals are sparing in the use of animal 
food ; not only does the excessive heat of 
the cUmate render it both unwholesome to 
eat much meat and expensive from the ne- 
cessity of immediately consuming a whole 
animal, but the regulations of the Mosaic 
law in ancient, as of the Koran in modern, 
times have tended to diminish its use. The 
prohibition against consuming the blood of 
any animal, Gen. 9 : 4, was more fully de- 
veloped in the Levitical law, and enforced 
by the penalty of death. Lev. 3 : 17 ; 7 : 26 ; 
19 : 26 ; Deut. 12 : 16. Certain portions of the 
fat of sacrifices were also forbidden, Lev. 3 : 
9, 10, as being set apart for the altar. Lev. 3 : 
16 ; 7 : 25. Christians were forbidden to eat 
the flesh of animals portions of which had 
been offered to idols. All beasts and birds 
classed as unclean. Lev. 11 :1 ffl; Deut. 14 : 
4 ff., were also prohibited. Under these re- 
strictions the Hebrews were permitted the 
use of animal food : they availed themselves 
of it in the exercise of hospitaUty or at festi- 
vals of a religious, public or private char- 
acter. The animals killed for meat were : 
calves, lambs, oxen, harts, roebucks and 
fallow deer, and other clean animals ; 
birds of various kinds ; fish, Avith the excep- 
tion of such as were without scales and fins. 
Locusts, of which certain species only were 
esteemed clean, were occasionally eaten, 
Matt. 3 : 4, but were regarded as poor fare. 

Fool. This term, in Scripture, impUes 
moral pravity. The fool is not merely an 
unreasonable, he is a sinful person. 2 Sam. 
13 : 13 ; Ps. 14 : 1 ; Prov. 19 : 1, 29 ; 20 : 3 ; 26 : 
4, 5 ;, Matt. 23 : 17 ; Rom. 1 : 21, 22. Hence 
the censure of one who unjustifiably cast 
so great a reproach upon a brother. Matt. 
5:22. 

Foreknowledge. The foreknowledge 



of God is repeatedly spoken of in Scrip- 
ture. Acts 2 : 23 ; Rom. 8 : 29 ; 11 : 2 ; 1 Pet. 
1 : 2. There are curious and intricate ques- 
tions in reference to his foreknowledge, 
which it would be quite foreign to the char- 
acter of this work to attempt to discuss. It 
must be sufficient to say that the Scripture 
attributes the most perfect prescience to 
the Deity. It is one of those high attributes 
which place him immeasurably above all 
pretended gods. Isa. 41 : 22, 23 ; 42 : 9 ; 44 : 
6-8. God does not gather knowledge as we 
do: before his eye all things past, present, 
or to come, are spread with equal clearness ; 
he sees all possibilities, those events which 
may happen as well as those which will 
happen. 1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 
42 : 9-22 : Matt. 11 : 21. 23 ; Acts 27 : 24, 31. 
Yet this divine foreknowledge does not 
compel men; it fetters not their free ac- 
tion ; it does not deUver them from the re- 
sponsibility of their own deeds. Gen. 50 : 20 ; 
Isa. 10 : 6, 7. And, if we are unable exactly 
to comprehend this, we may well remem- 
ber that God's judgments are unsearch- 
able, Rom. 11 : 33, his ways higher than 
our ways, his thoughts than our thoughts. 
Isa. 50 : 9. 

Forerunner. A person sent before an 
army or a noted person. Thus John the 
Baptist was a messenger who went before- 
hand to prepare the way of the Lord. 
Mark 1 : 2, 3. And Christ is said to be " the 
forerunner for us," Heb. 6 : 20, representing 
and introducing us. For, when as a priest 
he entered into the holy place, he went 
thither not for himself merely, but as the 
head and guide of his people, to open the 
way and conduct the whole church into 
his glory. 

Forgiveness. The remission of a fault. 
In the gospel of Christ, free forgiveness of 
sins is set forth. Acts 5 : 31 ; 13 : 38, 39 ; 1 
John 1:6-9; 2 : 12. And the full remission, 
which transgressors have at God's hand for 
Christ's sake, is made the ground and the 
pattern of that forgiving spirit which is to 
be manifested by Christ's true followers. 
Matt. 6 : 12, 14, 15 ; 18 : 21-35 ; Mark 11 : 25, 
26 A. v., but verse 26 is omitted in the R. V. ; 
Eph. 4 : 32, and elsewhere. See Justifica- 
tion. 

Fox. The jackal is probably meant in 
several passages where "fox" now occurs 
in Scripture. Both animals are cunning, 
voracious, and mischievous, Ezek. 13 : 4 ; 
Luke 13 : 32, are fond of grapes. Song of 
Sol. 2 : 15. Both burrow in the ground or 
among ruins. Luke 9 : 58. The jackal hunts 
its prey in large packs. It follows after cara- 
vans and armies, and devours the bod- 
ies of the dead^ and even digs them up 
from their graves. Ps. 63 : 10 ; Lam. 5 : 18. 
See 2 Sam. 18 : 17. Samson used foxes or 
jackals, Judg. 15 : 4, 5, to destroy the grain 
of the Philistines by binding torches to the 
tails of the animals, and they ran round 
setting fire to fields of corn. 

Frankincense. A vegetable resin, brit- 
tle, glittering, and of a bitter taste, used in 
Hebrew offerings and sacrifices. Ex. 30 : 
34-36. It burns for a long time with a steady 
flame. It is obtained by successive inci- 

91 



FRINGES 



PEOPLE'S DICTIOJSfAPr 



GADARENES 



sions ill the bark of a tree called Arbor 
thuris. The first incision yields the purest 
and whitest resin, while the product of the 
after incisions is spotted with yellow, and 
loses its whiteness altogether as it becomes 
old. The Hebrews imported their frankin- 
cense from Arabia. Isa. 60:6; Jer. 6 : 20. 

Fringes. The IsraeUtes were com- 
manded to put fringes upon their garments, 
Num. 15 : 38, 39 ; Deut. 22 : 12, a kind of edg- 
ing which would prevent the ends of the 
cloth from unravelUng ; also in the corners 
possibly of the outer garment, which was 
quadrangular, there was to be a narrow 
blue ribbon. These fringes or borders were 
in process of time enlarged ; and it was one 
part of the superstition of the Pharisee so 
to enlarge them as to attract special notice. 
Matt. 23 : 5. Hence there was a kind of sa- 
credness attributed to the hem of the gar- 
ment; and this seems to have been the 
reason why diseased persons sptecially de- 
sired to touch the hem of Christ's garment. 
Matt. 9 : 20 ; 14 : 36 ; Luke 8 : 44. 

Frog. The original Hebrew word sig- 
nifies a marsh-leaper. We find frogs men- 
tioned only in connection with the plague 
inflicted upon the Egyptians. Ex. 8 : 2-14 ; 
Ps. 78 : 45 ; 105 : 30, and for illustration. Rev. 
16 : 13. Naturahsts disagree as to the species 
of frogs at present found in Egypt. 

Frontlets. See Phylacteries. 

Fullers' Field. A spot close to the 
walls of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 18 : 17, 26 ; Isa. 
36 : 2 ; 7 : 3. 

Furnace. Furnaces are noticed in the 
Bible, such as a smelting or calcining fur- 
nace, Gen. 19 : 28 ; Ex. 9 : 8, 10 ; 19 : 18 ; es- 
pecially a lime-kiln, Isa. 33 : 12 ; Amos 2:1; 
a refining furnace, Prov. 17 : 3 ; Nebuchad- 
nezzar's furnace, a large furnace built hke 
a brick-kiln, Dan. 3 : 22, 23, with two open- 
ings, one at the top for putting in the ma- 
terials, and another below for removing 
them. The potter's furnace and the black- 
smith's furnace are noticed in the Apocry- 
phal books. Eccles. 27 : 5 ; 38 : 28. The 
Persians were in the habit of using the 
furnace as a means of inflicting punish- 
ment. Dan. 3 : 22, 23 ; Jer. 29 : 22. 



Gaal (gd'aT), loathing, the son of Ebed, 
led a revolt against Abimelech, king of 
the Shechemites. Judg. 9 : 26-46. He Avas 
defeated and his partisans were scattered. 

Gaash (gd'ash), earthquake. The hill 
where Joshua was buried. Josh. 24 : 30 ; 
Judg. 2 : 9. South of Tibneh, which is iden- 
tified as Timnath-serah, is a hill, upon the 
north side of which are tombs ; hence it is 
supposed to be "the hill Gaash." 

Gabbatlia (gdb'ba-thah), 2Mtform. The 
place of Pilate's judgment-seat ; called also 
"the pavement." John 19:13. The judg- 
ment-hall was the Prsetorium, on the west- 
em hill of Jerusalem, and the pavement, 
or Gabbatha, was a tesselated pavement 
outside the hall. 

Gabriel (gd'-bri-el), man of God. An 
angel specially charged with the message 

92 



to Zacharias respecting the birth of John, 
and to Mary respecting the birth of Christ. 
Luke 1 : 19-26. At an earlier i)eriod he was 
sent to Daniel to unfold a vision. Dan. 8 : 
16 ; 9 : 21. See Angels. 

Gad igdd), good fortune (f) 1. The sev- 
enth son of Jacob, and the first-bom of 
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid. Gen. 30 : 11. 2. 
A prophet and particular friend of David, 
the history of whose reign he wrote. 1 
Chron. 29 : 29. He came to David when 
the latter was in the cave of AduUam. 1 
Sam. 22 : 5. He then began his career of 
counsellor, under divine direction, which 
eventually won him the title of " the king's 
seer," 2 Sam. 24 : 11, 13 ; 1 Chron. 21 : 9. In 
Hezekiah's day he was remembered. 2 
Chron. 29 : 25. 

Gad, the Tribe of. The territory given 
to the tribe of Gad lay east of the Jordan, 
north of that allotted to Reuben, and south 
of that given to ISIanasseh on that side of 
the river. It extended from the Jordan 
eastward to Aroer, Josh. 13 : 24, 25, includ- 
ing half of Mount Gilead and half of Am- 
mon. Deut. 3 : 12 ; Josh. 13 : 24, 25. For 
physical features and liistory see Gilead. 
Its chief cities were Ramoth-gilead, Maha- 
naim, Heshbon, and Aroer. This tribe, in 
the wilderness, was placed with Simeon 
and Reuben on the south of the tabernacle ; 
with Reuben and the half of Manasseh, it 
occupied the pasture grounds on the east 
of the Jordan. It was warhke, as is graph- 
ically stated. 1 Chron. 12 : 8. Two femous 
men came from Gad — Barzillai, 2 Sam. 17 : 
27, and Elijah, 1 Kings 17 : 1. The territory 
was the battle field for wars between Syria 
and Israel. 2 Kings 10 : 33. 

Gadarenes [gdd'a-renez'), country of. 
Possibly the same as that of the Gergesenes, 
R. V. "Gerasenes;" Matt. 8:28 R. V.,but 
Gergesenes in A. V. ^Mark 5:1; Gadarenes, 
A. \ ., and so in Luke 8 : 26, but Gerasenes in 
R. V. in both passages. A region about 
Gadara, an important city about 6 miles 
south-east of the Sea of Galilee, and 16 miles 
from Tiberias ; noAV called Vm Keis. The 
town is about 1215 feet above the sea-level, 
on the western crest of a mountain. The 
tomb-caverns are very numerous, and some 
of them are still inhabited by the Arabs, 
illustrating Matt. 8 : 28. The place of the 
miracle of Matt. 8 : 28-33 has been in doubt, 
but it cannot be Gadara, which is too far 
from the lake for the herd of swine to rush 
into it precipitantly in one short run. 
Recent explorations fix it, with some cer- 
tainty, about midway of the Lake of Galilee, 
on its eastern side and near Gerasa, or mod- 
ern Kersa. Between two wadys, Semakh 
and Fik, Avliich are 3 miles apart, the hills 
come within 40 feet of the lake, and present 
a steep slope, so that a herd of swine run- 
ning swiftly dOAvn it would be carried on 
into the water. There are various readings 
of the name in the original text of the Gos- 
pels. The reading of Matt. 8 : 28 was prob- 
ably " Gadarenes " (as in the R. V.), ^yhich 
Origen changed to " Gergesenes." In Mark 
5 : 1 the readings are " Gerasenes " or " Gad- 
arenes ; " in Luke 8 : 26, " Gerasenes," "Ger- 
gesenes," or "Gadarenes." The explana- 



GAlUS 



OP THE mSLE. 



GALL 



tion is, Gadara, a chief city, is named, as 
better known than Gerasa or Khersa. 

Gaius {gd'yus). 1. A Macedonian, Acts 
19:29, Paul's host at Corinth when the 
Epistle to the Romans was written, Rom. 
16 : 23, and baptized with his household by- 
Paul. 1 Cor. 1 : 14. He accompanied Paul 
to Ephesus, and was seized by the mob. 
Acts 19 : 29. The association of his name 
with that of Aristarchus seems to identify 
him with the Gains of Derbe. Acts 20 : 4. 
Opinions differ on this point. 2. To one of 
this name is addressed the third Epistle of 
John. 3 John 1. 

Galatia (ga-ld'sM-ah). A central prov- 
ince of Asia Minor, subject to the Roman 
rule, bounded by Bithynia and Paphlagonia 
on the north, Pontus on the east, Cappadocia 
and Lycaonia on the south, and Phrygia on 
the west. The country is chiefly high table- 
land between the two rivers Halys and San- 
garius. The Galatians were originally Gauls 
or Celts who 300. years before Christ moved 
from the regions of the Rhine back toward 
the east, and there mingled with Greeks 
and Jews. Galatia was a part of Paul's 
missionary field. He visited it once with 
Silas and Timothy, Acts 16 : 6 ; again, on 
his third tour, he "went over all the coun- 
try of Galatia," Acts 18:23, and received 
a collection for the saints from its churches. 

1 Cor. 16 : 1. Crescens also appears to have 
been sent there near the close of Paul's life. 

2 Tim. 4 : 10. 

Galbaimin. One of the ingredients of 
the sacred perfume (Ex. 30 : 34). It is a res- 
inous gum of a brownish-yellow color, 
generally occurring in masses, and of a 
strong, disagreeable odor. When mixed 
with other fragrant substances, it made the 
perfume more lasting. 

Galilee (gdl'i-lee), circle, circuit. A name 
in the Old Testament for a small district in 
the northern mountains of Naphtali, around 
Kedesh-naphtali, and including 20 towns 
given by Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre, 
Josh. 20 : 7 ; 21 : 32 ; 1 Kings 9 : 11 ; 2 Kings 
15 : 29, and called " Galilee of the nations " 
in Isa. 9 : 1. Devastated during the wars of 
the Captivity, it was repeopled by strangers. 
In the time of the Maccabees they probably 
outnumbered the Jewish population, and 
gave their new name to a much wider dis- 
trict. In the time of our Lord, Palestine 
was divided into three provinces, of which 
Galilee was the most northern. It included 
the whole region from the plain of Jezreel 
to the Litany (Leontes) river, being about 
50 miles long by 20 to 25 miles wide. The 
northern part was known as Upper and the 
southern part as Lower Gahlee. These in- 
cluded the territories given to Asher, Naph- 
tali, Zebulun, and Issachar. The country 
was famed for its fertilityj rich pastures, 
and fine forests. The portion west of the 
lake was the most beautiful. In the Roman 
period the population was dense, Josephus 
estimating it at 2,000,000 or 3,000,000, though 
that is probably an exaggeration. It had a 
mixed population of heathens, foreigners, 
and Jews. The latter, having a strong, if 
not dominant, influence, were less strict and 
less acquainted with the Law than their 



southern Judgean neighbors, by whom they 
were little esteemed. The noted mountains 
of GaUlee were Carmel, Gilboa, and Tabor ; 
the towns were Nazareth, Cana, Tiberias, 
Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Jesiis 
spent the greater portion of his Ufe and 
ministry in Galilee. Many of his most re- 
markable miracles, teachings, and labors 
were within this province of Galilee. His 
disciples were chiefly from this region. 
Acts 1 : 11. After the fall of Jerusalem, Gal- 
ilee became the residence of celebrated 
rabbis and the centre of Jewish schools of 
learning. 

Galilee, Sea of. Named from the prov- 
ince of GaUlee, which bordered on its 
western side, Matt. 4 : 18. It was also called 
the " Sea of Tiberias," from the city of that 
name, John 6 : 1, and " Sea of Chinneroth " 
in the Old Testament. At its northwestern 
angle was a beautiful and fertile plain called 
*' Gennesaret," and from that it derived 
the name of " Lake of Gennesaret." Luke 
5:1; Num. 34 : 11 ; Josh. 12 : 3, and GaUlee, 
Josh. 19 : 35. Its modern name is Bahr 
Tubariyeh. Most of our Lord's public Ufe 
was spent in the environs of this sea. The 
Sea of GaUlee is of an oval shape, about 12 
miles long and 6 broad. It is 60 miles 
northeast of Jerusalem and 27 east of the 
Mediterranean sea. The river Jordan 
enters it at its northern end and passes out 
at its southern end. Its most remarkable 
feature is its deep depression, being no less 
than 700 feet below the level of the ocean. 
The scenery is bleak and monotonous, being 
surrounded by a high and almost unbroken 
wall of hills, on account of which it is ex- 
posed to frequent sudden and violent 
storms. The great depression makes the 
cUmate of the shores almost tropical. In 
summer the heat is intense, and even in 
early spring the air has something of an 
Egyptian balminess. The water of the lake 
is sweet, cool, and transparent ; and as the 
beach is everywhere pebbly it has a beauti- 
ful sparkling look. It abounds in fish now 
as in ancient times. There were large fish- 
eries on the lake, and much commerce was 
carried on upon it. There are only a few 
small boats now to be found on the lake. 

Gall. A word which in the A. V. repre- 
sents two or more Hebrew words. 1. The 
Hebrew word rosh, rendered " hemlock " in 
Hos. 10 : 4 ; Amos 6 : 12, R. V., " gall," is gen- 
erally rendered " gall," Deut. 29 : 18 ; Ps. 
69 : 21, meaning most probably the poppy ; 
and thus Jer. 8 :14, " water of gall," would 
be poppy-juice. It stands sometimes for 
poison generally, Deut. 32 : 32. 2. Another 
word, merirah, or merorah, means the gall 
of the human body. Job 16 : 13 ; 20 : 25, and 
that of asps. Job 20 : 14, the poison being 
supposed to he in the gall. The Greek 
cliole means a bitter humor of man or beast, 
taking sometimes a more general significa- 
tion. Matt. 27 : 34. It is used metaphorically 
in Acts 8 : 23. The draught offered to our 
Lord at his crucifixion is said by Matthew to 
be mingled with gall, bv Mark with myrrh. 
Matt. 27 : 34 ; Mark 15 : 23. If the two refer 
to the same act, Mark specifies the ingre- 
dient, while Matthew shows that the effect 

93 



6ALLI0 



PEOPLE'S DtCTIOi^ARY 



GARMENTS 



was to render the mixture bitter ; as we say, 
"bitter as gall." 

Gallio (gdl'li-o). Marcus Annseus Nova- 
tus, brother of the eroinent philosopher, 
Lucius Annseus Seneca, was adopted into 
the family of the rhetorician, Lucius Junius 
Galho, and was thenceforth designated 
Junius Annseus Gallio. To him his brother 
Seneca dedicated one of his works, De Ira. 
He was proconsul of Achaia under the Em- 
peror Claudius, about 53 and 54 a. d. ; when 
Faul was accused before him. Acts 18 : 12- 
16. 

Gamaliel (ga-md'li-el), recompense of God. 
1. Son of Pedanzur ; prince or captain of the 
tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai, 
Num. 1 : 10 ; 2 : 20 ; 7 : 54, 59, and at starting 
on the march through the wilderness. Num. 
10 : 23. (B. c. 1490.) 2. A Pharisee and cele- 
brated doctor of the law, who g:ave prudent 
worldly advice in the Sanhednn respecting 
the treatment of the followers of Jesus of 
Nazareth. Acts 5 : 34 ff. (a. d. 29.) He was 
Paul's teacher. Acts 22 : 3. He is generally 
identified with Gamaliel, the grandson of 
Hillel, who is referred, to as authority in the 
Jewish Mishna. • 

Garden. Gardens in the East were sur- 
rounded by hedges of thorn, Isa. 6:5, or 
walls of stone. Prov. 24 : 31. For further 
protection lodges, Isa. 1:8; Lam. 2:6, or 
watchtowers, Mark 12 ; 1, were built in them, 
in which sat the keeper, Isa. 5:2; 21 : 5, to 
drive away the wild beasts and robbers. 
The gardens of the Hebrews were planted 
with flowers and aromatic shrubs, Song of 
Sol. 6:2; 4 : 16, besides oUves, fig trees, nuts 
or walnuts, Song of Sol. 6 : 11, pomegranates, 
and others for domestic use. Ex. 23:11; Jer. 
29 : 5 ; Amos 9 : 14. Gardens of herbs, or 
kitchen gardens, are mentioned in Deut. 
11 : 10 and 1 Kings 21 : 2. The retirement of 
gardens rendered them favorite places for 
devotion. 

Garments. Notice: 1. Materials; 2. 
Color and decoration ; 3. Name and mode 
of wearing the various articles ; 4. Usages 
relating thereto. 

1. Materials. — The first human dress was 
an "apron" of fig leaves. Gen. 3:7; then 
the skins of animals, Gen. 3 : 21 ; as later 
the " mantle " worn by Elijah. Sheepskin is 
still a common material of dress in the 
East. The art of weaving hair and wool 
was known to the Hebrews at an early pe- 
riod. Ex. 25 : 4 ; 26 : 7 ; Gen. 38 : 12, Linen 
and perhaps cotton fabrics were known, 1 
Chron. 4 : 21 ; and silk was introduced 
much later. Rev. 18 : 12. The use of mixed 
material, such as wool and flax, was for- 
bidden. Lev. 19 : 19 ; Deut. 22 : 11. 

2. Color and decoration. — ^The prevailing 
color of the Hebrew dress was the natural 
white of the materials employed. Mark 9 : 
8. The use of colors was known ; notice 
the scarlet thread. Gen. 38 : 28. Also, the 
art of weaving with threads previously 
dyed, Ex. 35 : 25 ; of the introduction of 
gold thread or wire. Ex. 27 : 6 ff. Robes 
decorated with gold, Ps. 45:13, and with 
silver thread, cf Acts 12 : 21, were worn by 
royal personages : other kinds of embroid- 
ered robes were worn by the wealthy, 

94 



Judg. 5 : 30 ; Ps. 45 : 14 ; Ezek. 16 : 13 ; as 
well as purple, Prov. 31 : 22 ; Luke 16 : 19 ; 
and scarlet. 2 Sam. 1 : 24. 

3. The names and modes of wearing gar- 
ments. — Oriental dress has preserved a re- 
markable uniformity in all ages : the mod- 
ern Arab dresses much ai the ancient He- 
brew did. The costume of the men and 
women was very similar j there was suffi- 
cient difference, however, to mark the sex, 
and it was strictly forbidden to a woman 
to wear the staff, signet-ring, and other or- 
naments of a man ; as well as to a man to 
wear the outer robe of a woman. Deut. 22 : 
5. The robes common to the two sexes 
were : (1) The inner garment, closely fit- 
ting, resembUng in form and use our shirt, 
though unfortunately translated "coat" in 
the Authorized Version. It was made of 
either wool, cotton, or linen, was without 
sleeves, and reached only to the knee. An- 
other kind reached to the wrists and ankles. 
It was kept close to the body by a girdle, 
and the fold formed by the overlapping of 
the robe served as an inner pocket. A per- 
son wearing the inner garment alone was 
described as naked. (2) Upper or second 
tunic, longer than the first. (3) The linen 
cloth appears to have been a wrapper of fine 
linen, which might be used in various 
ways, but especially as a night-shirt. Mark 
14:51. (4) The outer garment consisted of 
a square piece of woolen cloth. The size and 
texture would vary with the means of the 
wearer. It might be worn in various ways, 
either wrapped round the body or thrown 
over the shouldei-s hke a shawl, with the 
ends or " skirts " hanging down in front; 
or it might be thrown over the head, so as to 
conceal the face. 2 Sam. 15 : 30 ; Esther 6 ; 
12. The ends were skirted with a fringe 
and bound with a dark purple ribbon, 
Num. 15 : 38 ; it was confined at the waist 
by a girdle. The outer garment was the 
poor man's bed-clothing. Ex. 22 : 26, 27. 
The dress of the women differed from 
that of men in the outer garment ; an in- 
ner garment being worn aUke by both 
sexes. Song of Sol. 5 : 3. Among their dis- 
tinctive robes was a kind of shawl, Ruth 3 : 
15 ; Isa. 3 : 22 ; Ught summer dresses and 
gay hohday dresses. Isa. 3:24. The gar- 
ments of females had an ample border of 
fringe {skirts, A. V.), which concealed 
the feet. Isa. 47:2; Jer. 13:22. The 
travelling cloak referred to by Paul, 2 
Tim. 4 : 13, is sometimes explained as a trav- 
elling case for carrying clothes or books. 
The coat of many colors worn by Joseph, 
Gen. 37 : 3, 23, was a tunic furnished with 
sleeves and reaching down to the ankles. 

4. Usages in dress.— The length of the 
dress rendered it inconvenient for active 
exercise ; hence the outer garments were 
either left in the house by a person work- 
ing close by. Matt, 24 : 18 ; or were thrown 
off, Mark 10 : 50 ; or were girded up. 1 
Kings 18 : 46 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 13. On entering a 
house the upper garment was probably laid 
aside, and resumed on going out. Acts 12 : 
8. The presentation of a robe was often 
an installation or investiture, Gen. 41 : 42 ; 
Esther 8 : 15 ; Isa. 22 : 21 ; taking it away a 



GATE 



OF THE BIBLE. 



GENEALOGY 



dismissal from office. 2 Mace. 4 : 38. The 
best robe was a mark of honor. Luke 15 : 
22. The number of robes kept In store for 
presents was very large, Job 22 : 6 ; Matt. 6 : 
19 ; Jas. 5 : 2, and implied the possession of 
wealth and power. Isa. 3 : 6, 7. On wed- 
ding occasions the entertainer sometimes 
Erovided robes for his guests. Matt. 22 : 12 ; 
uke 15 : 22. The business of making clothes 
devolved upon women in a family. Prov. 
31 : 22 * Acts 9 : 39. 

Gate. Eastern cities anciently were 
walled and had gates. They are thus some- 
times taken as representing the city itself. 
Gen. 22:17; 24:60; Deut. 12:12; Judg. 5: 
8 ; Ruth 4 : 10 ; Ps. 87 : 2 ; 122 : 2. Gateways 
were used : (1) As places of pubUc resort. 
Gen. 19 : 1 ; 23 : 10 ; 34 : 20, 24 ; 1 Sam. 4 : 18, 
etc. (2) For pubUc deliberation, holding 
courts of justice, or for meeting kings and 
rulers or ambassadors. Deut. 16 : 18 ; 21 : 
19 ; 25 : 7 ; Josh. 20 : 4 ; Judg. 9 : 35, etc. (3) 
Public markets. 2 Kings 7:1. In heathen 
towns the open spaces near the gates appear 
to have been sometimes used as places for 
sacrifice. Acts 14 : 13 ; comp. 2 Kings 23 : 8. 
The gates of cities were carefully guarded, 
and closed at nightfall. Deut. 3:5; Josh. 
2 : 5, 7 ; Judg. 9 : 40, 44. They contained 
chambers over the gateway. 2 Sam. 18: 
24. The doors of the larger gates men- 
tioned in Scripture were two-leaved, plated 
with metal, closed with locks and barred 
with metal bars. Deut. 3:5; Ps. 107 : 16 ; 
Isa. 45 : 1, 2. Gates not covered by iron 
were Mable to be set on fire by an enemy. 
Judg. 9 : 52. The gateways of royal palaces 
and even of private houses were often 
richly ornamented. Sentences from the 
law were inscribed on and above the gates. 
Deut. 6:9; Rev. 21 : 21. The gates of Solo- 
mon's temple were very massive and costly, 
being overlaid with gold and carvings. 1 
Kings 6 : 34, 35 ; 2 Kings 18 : 16. Those of 
the holy place were of olive wood, two- 
leaved and overlaid with gold; those of 
the temple of fir. 1 Kings 6 : 31, 32, 34 ; 
Ezek. 41 : 23, 24. 

Gatli igdth), wine-press. One of the five 
cities of the Phihstines, 1 Sam. 5:8; 6 : 17 ; 
Amos 6:2; Mic. 1 : 10 ; a stronghold of the 
Anakim, Josh. 11 : 22 ; home of Gohath, 1 
Sam. 17 : 4 ; place whither the ark was car- 
ried, 1 Sam. 5:8; where David sought ref- 
uge, 1 Sam. 21 : 10-15 ; was strengthened by 
Rehoboam, 2 Chron. 11 : 8 ; taken by Hazael 
of Syria, 2 Kings 12 : 17 ; probably recov- 
ered by Jehoash, 2 Kings 13 : 25 ; broken 
down by Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26 : 6 ; was prob- 
ably destroyed before the time of the later 
prophecies, as it is omitted from the list of 
royal cities. See Zeph. 2:4; Zech. 9:5, 6. 
Probably Tel es-Safi, 15 miles south of Ram- 
leh and 12 miles southeast of Ashdod. 

Gaza (gd'zah), Hebrew Azzah, strong. The 
chief of the five cities of the Philistines, 
50 miles southwest of Jerusalem, 3 miles 
from the Mediterranean, now called GhUz- 
zeh. Gaza was peopled by the descendants 
of Ham, Gen. 10 : 19 ; by the Anakim, Josh. 
11 : 22 ; given to Judah, Josh. 15 : 47 ; the 
scene of Samson's exploits, Judg. 16 ; under 
Solomon's rule and called Azzah, 1 Kings 



4 : 24 ; smitten by Egypt, Jer. 47 : 1, 5 ; proph- 
esied against, Amos 1 : 6, 7 ; Zeph. 2:4; Zech. 
9:5; noticed in New Testament only in 
Acts 8 : 26 ; a-chief stronghold of paganism 
and the worship of the god Dagon. The 
town is now mthout walls or gates, but is 
in the midst of ohve-orchards and has 
about 20,000 inhabitants. 

Geba (ge'-bah), hill. A Levitical city of 
Benjamin, Josh. 21 : 17 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 60 ; also 
called Gaba. Josh. 18 : 24. It was held by 
the Philistines, but taken by Jonathan, 1 
Sam. 13:3; was a northern landmark of 
Judah, 2 Kings 23 : 8 ; was rebuilt by Asa, 1 
Kings 15 : 22 ; held by the Assyrians, Isa. 
10:29; peopled by Benjamites after the 
captivity, Ezra 2 : 26. Geba and Gibeah 
appear to be sometimes confounded in 
the Enghsh Version (see 1 Sam. 14 : 5), 
though they were separate towns. Geba 
was near Michmash and on the south side 
of the ravine. It has been identified with 
Jeba, a deserted village 6 miles north of 
Jerusalem. 

Ge\iai\{ge,'hal), mountain. 1. A place near 
Tyre. Ezra 27 : 9. 2. Some identify the Ge- 
bal of Ps. 83 : 7 with northern Edom, called 
el-Jebal, but others regard it as Geba No. 1. 

Gedaliah (gSd'a-li'ah), whom Jehovah hath 
made powerful. The governor of Judsea, 
appointed by Nebuchadnezzar after its sub- 
jection. 2 Kings 25 : 22 ; Jer. 40 : 5. He was 
a friend of Jeremiah, Jer. 40:6; a party 
headed by Ishmael slew him. Jer. 41 : 2. 

Gehazi (ge-hd'zl), valley of vision. The 
servant of EUsha. He was the prophet's 
messenger to the good Shunammite, 2 
Kings 4 (B. c. 889-887) ; accepted money and 
garments from Naaman ; was smitten with 
leprosy, and was dismissed from the proph- 
et's service, 2 Kings 5. Later he related 
to king Joram all the things which EUsha 
had done. 2 Kings 8 : 4, 5. 

Gemariah {gim'a-rVah), whom Jehovah 
has perfected. 1. The son of Hilkiah, sent 
on an embassy from Zedekiah to Nebu- 
chadnezzar. Jer. 29 : 3. 2. The son of Sha- 
phan, from whose chamber Baruch read to 
the people the roll of Jeremiah's prophe- 
cies. Jer. 36 : 10, 11, 12, 25. 

Genealogy. Genealogical lists are 
found all through the historical books of 
the Old Testament. One great object in 
the preservation of these genealogical Usts 
was to note Christ's descent. The first bib- 
lical genealogy is that of Cain's descend- 
ants. Gen. 4 : 16-24 ; then that of Seth. 
The tenth and eleventh chapters of Gene- 
sis are regarded by ethnologists as invalu- 
able, since they contain a history of the 
dispersion of the nations in prehistoric times. 
The first eight chapters of 1 Chronicles are 
devoted to genealogical accounts, begin- 
ning with Adam, because, as it is stated, 
"all Israel were reckoned by genealogies." 
1 Chron. 9 : 1. 

Genealogy of Jesus Christ. — Matt. 1 : 
1-17 ; Luke 3 : 23-38. This is the only gen- 
ealogy given us in the New Testament. 
We have two lists of the human ances- 
tors of Christ : Matthew, writing for Jew- 
ish Christians, begins with Abraham ; Luke, 
writing for Gentile Christians, goes back to 

95 



GENERATION 



PEOPLE'S PICTIONAPY 



GEZER 



Adam, the father of all men. John, 1 : 1- 
18, begins his gospel by setting forth Christ's 
divine genealogy. The explanation of the 
differences in these two hsts is, 1. One, or 
perhaps two, levirate marriages in the fam- 
ily of Joseph — i. e., a marriage of a man to 
the childless -vndow of his elder brother, 
the children of the second marriage being 
reckoned as the legal descendants of the 
first husband. 2. That Matthew gives the 
legal or royal genealogy of Joseph, Luke 
the private hue of Joseph. 3. That Mat- 
thew gives the genealogy of Joseph, Luke 
the genealogy of Mary. The Da^ddic de- 
scent of Jesus is a mark of the Messiah, 
and is clearly taught in the prophecv, and 
also in Rom. 1 : 3 ; 2 Tim. 2:8; Heb.'7 : 14 ; 
John 7 : 42 ; Acts 13 : 23. 

Generation, or Generations, "has 
three secondary meanings in the A. V. : 1. 
A genealogical* register, as Gen. 5:1. 2. A 
family history, Gen. 6:9; 25 : 1 ff., since 
early 'history among the orientals is drawn 
so much from genealogical registers. 8. A 
history of the origin of things as well as 
persons — e.g., of the earth." — Smith. 

Gene sis {jM'e-sIs) . The fi rst book of th e 
Bible. The term signifies "beginning" or 
" origin." Genesis gives us a historj'- of the 
origin of the world, of the human family, 
of sin, of the promise of redemption, and 
of the Jewish people. The first eleven 
chapters describe the creation of things, 
the history of Adam, the deluge, and the 
confusion of tongues at Babel. With the 
twelfth chapter begins the history of the 
patriarchs and Israel. There are ho good 
grounds for doubting that Moses was the 
author. With the use of older documents 
and traditions, he compiled, under divine 
direction, the historj^ as we have it. The 
order of created things in Genesis is sub- 
stantially the order of geology and biology. 
Both begin with the formation of the earth 
and proceed from the vegetable to animal 
Ufe ; both stop with man. The "word trans- 
lated " day " probably means an indefinite 
period. The " seventh day," which has no 
evening, Chron. 2 : 2, cannot refer to a day of 
24 hours, but to the long redemptive period 
in which we are li"sang. Few if any existing 
documents have a more venerable age than 
has Genesis. Covering nearly 2500 years, it 
gives us the account of the preparation of 
this planet as an abode for man and the first 
annals of the race. Its value cannot be 
overestimated as a fragment of literature 
or as a work of historj', and it has been well 
observed that in the first page of Genesis a 
child may learn more in an hour than all 
the philosophers in the world learned with- 
out it in a thousand years.— -ScAo^. 

Gennesaret (gen-ne'sa-ret), the Iiand 
of. A small strip of countrj- on the 
northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. It 
is named onlv twice in Scripture. IMatt. 
14 : 34 ; Mark '6 : 53 ; comp. Luke 5:1. It 
hes along the lake for three or four miles, 
and extends back about a mile or more, 
where it is shut in by the hills. The plain 
was formerly very rich and fruitful, accord- 
ing to Josephus, and is supposed to be the 
scene of the parable of the sower, Matt, 13 : 



1-8, but it is now fruitful in thorns. The 
banks of the lake and of the brook run- 
ning from the fountain 'Ai7i Tdbighah are 
fringed with oleanders. 

Gentile {j&n'tlle). This was the name 
by which the Jews aesignated all men but 
themselves — i. e., all pagan nations who 
were ignorant of the true God, and, idol- 
aters. Luke 2 : 32 ; Acts 26 : 17, 20 ; Rom. 2 : 
9, where the R. V. reads "Greek;" 9 : 24, 
etc. In opposition to the Gentiles, the He- 
brews regarded themselves, and were in 
fact, the " chosen people of God." Some- 
times the " Greeks," as the most cultivated 
among the heathen, stand for them. Rom. 
1 : 16 ; Acts 16 : 1, 3, etc. Paul is called the 
"apostle to the Gentiles" on account of 
his special mission and work among them. 

Court of the Gentiles. See Temple. 

Isles op the Gentiles, R. V., "Isles of 
the nations." Gen. 10 : 5. The Hebrew word 
sig-nifies any land bordering on the sea. 
It refers to land on the Mediterranean, 
Black, and Caspian seas. 

Gerar {ge'rdr), residence, or water-pots. 
A city and district in the south of Palestine, 
and near Gaza, Gen. 10 : 19 ; visited by 
Abraham, Gen. 20 : 1 ; by Isaac, Gen. 26 : 1 ; 
Asa pursued the defeated Ethiopians to it. 
2 Chron. 14 : 13. 

Gerizim {gSr'a-zim), Mount. A moun- 
tain near Shechem, from which the bless- 
ings were pronounced, as the curses were 
from Mount Ebal, Deut. 11 : 29 ; 27 : 1-13 ; 
Josh. 8 : 30-33. Gerizim is 2849 feet above 
the level of the sea, and about 800 feet 
above Ndblus (Shechem). It is separated 
from Ebal by a narrow valley. Six tribes 
were placed on Gerizim, and six on Ebal, 
Deut. 27 : 12, 13 ; the ark was probably in the 
valley between them, and Joshua read the 
blessings and cursings successively. Josh. 
8 : 33, 34 • Deut. 27 : 14, 15. Gerizim was the 
scene of the first recorded parable— that of 
the trees and brambles. Judg. 9:7-21. It 
was the site of the Samaritan temple, and 
referred to by the woman at the well. 
John 4 : 20. See Ebal. 

Gesliur (ge'shur), bridge. A small dis- 
trict of Syria, east of the Jordan and north- 
east of Bashan ; allotted to Manasseh, 
Deut. 3 : 14 ; 2 Sam. 15 : 8 ; 1 Chron. 2 : 23 ; 
Josh. 13 : 13 ; David married a daughter of 
its king. 2 Sam. 3:3; Absalom fled thither 
after the murder of Amnon, 2 Sam. 13 : 37. 
Now known as "theLejah," and still the 
refuge of criminals and outlaws. 

Get lise mane {geth-s&ni'a-ne), oU press. 
A place across the Kidron and at the foot 
of Ohvet, noted as the scene of our Lord's 
agony. John 18 : 1 ; Mark 14 : 26 ; Luke 22 : 
39. A garden or orchard was attached to 
it, and it was a place to which Jesus fre- 
quently resorted. Matt. 26 : 36 ; Mark 14 : 
32 ; John 18 : 2. Tradition, since the fourth 
century, has placed it on the lower slope 
of Olivet, about 100 yards east of the bridge 
over the Kedron. 

Gezer (ge'zer), steep place, called also 
Gazer, Gazara, Gazera, and Gad, a 
roval citv of Canaan, and one of the oldest 
cities of the land. Josh. 10 : 33 ; 12 : 12. Gezer 
was in Ephraim ; given to Kohath, Josh. 21 ; 



GIANT 



OF THE BIBLE. 



GILGAL 



21 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 67 ; noticed in the wars of 
David, 1 Sam. 27 : 8 ; 2 Sam. 5 : 25 ; 1 Chron. 
20 : 4 ; burned by Pharaoh in Solomon's 
days, 1 Kings 9 : 15-17 ; given to Solomon's 
Egyptian wife, and rebuilt by him ; was an 
important city in the time of the Maccabees. 

Giant. Gen. 6:4. R. V., " Nephihm." 
The sons of Anak are usually looked upon 
as giants. Num. 13 : 33. The king of Bashan, 
Deut. 3 : 11, and Goliath, 1 Sam. 17 : 4, were 
warlike and dreaded giants. 

Gibbethon {gih'he-thdn), height. A town 
of Dan ; given to the Kohathites, Josh. 19 : 
44 ; 21 : 23 ; held by the Phihstines in the 
reigns of Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, 
Zimri, and Omri. 1 Kings 15 : 27 ; 16 : 17. 
Tlie siege lasted 27 years. 

Gibeah (gWe-ah), a hill. The name of 
several towns. 1. Gibeah in the hill-coun- 
try of Judah, Josh. 15 : 57 ; now probably 
Jebah, ten miles north of Hebron. 2. Gibeah 
of Benjamin, 1 Sam. 13 : 2 ; first mentioned 
in Judg. 19 ; a shameful crime by some of 
its people nearly destroyed the tribe of 
Benjamin. Judg. 20, 21. 3. Gibeah of Saul, 
probably the same as Gibeah of Benjamin. 
For notices of Gibeah of Saul, see 1 Sam. 10 : 
26 ; 11 : 4 ; 15 : 34 ; 22 : 6 ; 23 : 19 ; Isa. 10 : 29, 
etc. 4. Gibeah in Kirjath-jearim was no 
doubt a hill in that city, 2 Sam. 6 : 3, 4, on 
which the house of Abinadab stood, where 
the ark was left. 5. Gibeah in the field, 
Judg. 20 : 31 ; probably the same as Geba. 
6. Gibeah-ha-araloth, Josh. 5 : 3, margin. 
See Gilgal. 

Gibeon {gWe-on), of a hill. A city of the 
Hivites, Josh. 9 : 3-21, about six miles north 
of Jerusalem. Near it Joshua commanded 
the sun to stand still, Josh. 10 : 12, 13 ; Isa. 
28 : 21 ; the city was given to Benjamin and 
to the Levites, Josh. 18 : 25 ; 21 :.17 ; it was 
the scene of a notable battle, 2 Sam. 2 : 12- 
24 ; 20 : 8-10 ; of the hanging of seven of 
Saul's sons, 2 Sam. 21 : 1-6 ; the tabernacle 
was set up at Gibeon, 1 Chron. 16 : 39 ; and 
Solomon offered great sacrifices there, 1 
Kings 3:4, 5; 9:2; 2 Chron. 1:3, 13; Je- 
horam recovered captives at Gibeon, Jer. 
41 : 12-16 ; its people helped to rebuild the 
walls of Jerusalem after the captivity, Neh. 
3:7; 7 : 25 ; Ezra 2 : 20, margin. It is now 
called el-Jib. 

Gideon (gld'e-on), he that cuts down. 
Youngest son of Joash, whose family lived 
at Ophrah, Judg. 6 : 15, in the territory of 
Manasseh, near Shechem. He was the fifth 
and greatest recorded judge of Israel. He 
had sons, Judg. 6 : 11 ; 8 : 22 ; and was called 
by an angel to be a deliverer of Israel. Judg. 
6. Clothed by the Spirit of God, Judg. 6 : 
34 ; comp. 1 Chron. 12 : 18, he blew a trumpet 
and was joined by Zebulun, Naphtali and 
even the reluctant Asher. Strengthened by 
a double sign from God, he reduced his 
amiy by the usual proclamation. Deut. 20 : 
1, 8. By a second test at "the spring of 
trembhng" he further reduced the number 
of his followers to 300. Judg. 7 : 5, flf. The 
midnight attack upon the Midianites, their 
panic, and the rout and slaughter that fol- 
lowed, are told in Judg. 7. The memory 
of this splendid deliverance took deep root 
in the national traditions. I Sam. 12 : 11 ; 



Ps. 83 : 11 ; Isa. 9:4; 10 : 26 ; Heb. 11 : 32. 
After this there was a peace of forty years, 
Judg. 8 : 29-31. He refused the crown. Judg. 
8 : 23. 

Gilion (gl'hdn), fountain, or stream. 1. 
The name of a river of Eden, Gen. 2 : 13. 2. 
A place near Jerusalem where Solomon was 
proclaimed king. 1 Kings 1 : 33^5. Heze- 
kiah stopped the upper water-course of 
Gihon, and Manasseh built a wall on the 
west side of Gihon. 2 Chron. 32 : 30 ; 33 : 14. 

G i 1 b o a (gil-bo'ah or gU'bo-aJi), bubbling 
fountain. A mountain east of the plain of 
Jezreel, and where Saul and Jonathan were 
slain in battle, and from whence Saul went 
to consult the witch of Endor. 1 Sam. 28 : 
4 ; 31 : 1, 6 ; 1 Chron. 10 : 1 ; 2 Sam. 1 : 21. 

Gilead (gU'e-ad), hard. 1. The grandson 
of Manasseh. Num. 26 : 29, 30, etc. 2. The 
father of Jephthah. Judg. 11 : 1, 2. 3. A 
Gadite. 1 Chron. 5 : 14. 

Gilead, rocky region. Called also Mount 
Gilead and Land of Gilead, Gen. 31 : 
25 ; Num. 32 : 1 ; and known in New Testa- 
ment times as Pereea, or, " beyond Jordan." 
Matt. 4 : 15 ; John 1 : 28. 1. Gilead was a 
region of country bounded on the north by 
Bashan, east by the Arabian desert, south 
by Moab and Ammon. and west by the 
Jordan. Gen. 31 : 21 ; Deut. 3 : 12-17 ; 1 Sam. 
13 : 7 ; 2 Kings 10 : 33. It was about 60 miles 
long, and 20 miles in its average breadth. 
Its mountains named in Scripture are 
Abarim, Pisgah, Nebo, and Peor, and are 
about 2000 to 3000 feet above the vallev of 
the Jordan. Num. 32 : 1 ; Gen. 37 : 25, The 
balm of Gilead was held in high favor, Jer. 
8 : 22 ; 46 : 11 ; it is said that only a spoonful 
could be collected in a day, and that was 
sold for twice its weight in silver. Jacob 
fled toward Gilead, Gen. 31 : 21 ; it was con- 
quered by Israel, Num. 21 : 24 ; Judg. 10 : 18 ; 
Josh. 12 : 2 ; Deut. 2 : 36 ; was given to Reu- 
ben, Gad, and Manasseh, Josh. 17 : 6 ; under 
Jephthah it defeated the Ammonites, Judg. 
10 : 18 ; was a refuge for Saul's son and for 
David, 2 Sam. 2:9; 17 : 22, 24 ; the home of 
Elijah, 1 Kings 17 : 1 ; taken in part by 
Syria, 2 Kings 10 : 33 ; by Assyria, 2 Kings 15 : 
25-29 ; referred to in the minor prophets, 
Hos. 6:8; 12 : 11 ; Amos 1 : 3, 13 ; Ob. 19 ; 
Micah. 7 : 14 ; Zech. 10 : 10. 2. Mount Gilead 
of Judg. 7 : 3 was probably near INIount 
Gilboa. 

Gilgal (gWgaT), rolling. 1. The name of 
the first station of the Israelites after cross- 
ing the Jordan, Josh. 4 : 19, 20, where the 
twelve stones were set up, and the taberna- 
cle remained until removed to Shiloh. 
Josh. 18 : 1. Samuel judged, and Saul was 
made king there ; 1 Sam. 7 : 16 ; 10 : 8 ; 11 : 
14, 15; at Gilgal the people gathered for 
war ; there Agag was hewn in pieces. 1 
Sam. 13 : 4-7 ; 15 : 33. Gilgal is not named 
in the New Testament. Josephus places 
this Gilgal 10 furlongs from Jericho and 50 
from the Jordan : Jerome had it pointed 
out 2 miles from Jericho. 2. The Gilgal in 
Elijah's time was above Bethel, since the 
prophet " went down" from that Gilgal to 
Bethel. 2 Kings 2:2. As Bethel is 3300 feet 
above the Jordan plain, it must have been a 
Gilgal not in that plain. It has been iden- 

97 



GITTITH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



GOLAN 



tified with Jiljilia, 8 miles north of Bethel, 
where the school of the prophets was 
probably estabhshed, 3. Gilgal of Josh. 12 : 
23 is supposed to be at a JiljuUeh, near An- 
tipatrls, in the plain of Sharon. 

Gittith {glt'tUh), a musical instrument. A 
Avord found in tne titles of Ps. 8 ; 81 ; 84. 
The derivation of the word is uncertain. 

Glass was discovered by the Phoeni- 
cians, or perhaps earlier. Representations 
of the process of glass-blowing are found 
on Egyptian monuments, and glass beads 
and fragments of glass vases have been dis- 
covered of very ancient age. The only 
mention of glass in the Old Testament i's 
in Job 28 : 17, R. V. It is translated " crys- 
tal" in the A. V. The mirrors referred' to 
by the word " glass " in 1 Cor. 13 : 12 ; 2 Cor. 
3 : 18 ; Jas. 1 : &, were not made of glass. 
The word is translated "mirror" in these 
places in the R. V. 

Glede. Some unclean bird of prey. 
Deut. 14 : 13. It is not certain what par- 
ticular bird is meant, but most probably 
one of the buzzards, of which three species 
inhabit Palestine. The original Hebrew 
word is rendered " vulture " in Lev. 11 : 14, 
R. v., "kite." 

Goad. Judg. 3 : 31. A rod or pole about 
eight feet long, armed at the larger end 
with a piece of iron, with which the plow- 
share was freed from clods and earth, and 
at the smaller with a sharp spike, by which 
the oxen were urged on in their labor. In 
the hands of Shamgar, Judg. 3 : 31, it was 
a powerful weapon. 

Goat. There are many varieties of the 
goat ; four were most hkely known to the 
Hebrews : 1. The domestic Sj-rian long- 
eared breed, with horns rather small and 
variously bent; the ears longer than the 
head, and pendulous ; hair long, often 
black. 2. The Angora, or rather AnadoUa 
breed of Asia Minor, with long hair, more 
or less fine. 3. The Egyptian goat, with small 
spiral horns, long brown hair, and very 
long eare. 4. A goat of Upper Egj-pt with- 
out horns, having the nasal bones singu- 
larly elevated, the nose contracted, with 
the* lower jaw protruding the incisors. 
Gen. 15 : 9. Several words are used in He- 
brew for this animal. Goats constituted a 
large part of Hebrew flocks ; for the milk 
and the flesh were articles of food. Gen. 
27 : 9 ; 1 Sam. 25 : 2 ; Prov. 27 : 27. As clean 
animals they were used in sacrifice, Ex. 
12 : 5 ; Heb. 9 : 13 ; and their hair was man- 
ufactured into a thick cloth. Of this, one 
of the coverings of the tabernacle was 
made, Ex. 25 : 4 ; 26 : 7 ; and it was on this 
material that in all probability Paul was 
employed. Acts 18 : 3. There is a Hebrew 
word also which occurs four times, ren- 
dered thrice "wild goats." 1 Sam. 24:2; 
Job 39:1; Ps. 104:18, and once "roe," R. 
V. "doe," Prov. 5:19. This, there can 
be Uttle doubt, is the ibex, which is 
specially formed for chmbing, its forelegs 
being shorter than the hinder. The word 
translated "devils," R. V. "he-goats," in 
Lev. 17 : 7 ; 2 Chron. 11 : 15, is one of the 
ordinary terms for a goat, signifjang hairy. 
This animal is sometimes introduced in 



Scripture symbolically, as in Dan. 8 : 5, 21 ; 
comp. Matt. 25 : 32, 33. 

God. The name of the Creator and 
the supreme Governor of the universe. 
He is a "Spirit, infinite, eternal, and un- 
changeable in his being, wisdom, power, 
hohness, justice, goodness, and truth." He 
is revealed to us in his works and providen- 
tial government, Rom. 1 : 20 ; but more 
fully in the Holy Scriptures and in the 
person and work of his only begotten Son, 
our Lord. 1. NaTues. There are three prin- 
cipal designations of God in the Old Testa- 
ment — Elohim, Jehovah (Javeh), and Ado- 
nai. The first is used exclusively in the 
first chapter of Genesis ; chiefly in the sec- 
ond book of Psalms, Ps. 42-72, called the 
Elohim Psalms, and occurs alternately with 
the other names in the other parts of the 
Old Testament. It expresses his character 
as the almighty Maker and his relation to 
the whole world, the Gentiles as weU as 
the Jews. The second is especially used 
of him in his relation to Israel as the God 
of the covenant, the God of revelation and 
redemption. "Adonai," i. e., my Lord, is 
used where God is reverently addressed, 
and is always substituted by the Jews for 
"Jehovah," which they never pronounce. 
The sacred name Jehovah, or Yahveh, is 
indiscriminately translated, in the Common 
Version, God, Lord, and Jehovah. 2. The 
Nature of God. God is revealed to us as a 
trinity consisting of three Persons who are 
of one essence. Matt. 28 : 19 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 14 ; 
John 1 : 1-3— God the Father, God the Son, 
and God the Holy Ghost. To the Father is 
ascribed the work of creation, to the Son 
the redemption, to the Holy Spirit the 
sanctification ; but all three Persons take 
part in all the divine works. To each of 
these Persons of the Trinity are ascribed 
the essential attributes of the' Supreme God. 
Thus, the Son is represented as the Media- 
tor of the creation, John 1:3; Col. 1 : 16 ; 
Heb. 1:4. 3. The unity of the Godhead is 
emphasized in the Old Testament, while 
the trinity is only shadowed forth, or at 
best faintly brought out. The reason for 
the emphasis of the unity of the Godhead 
was to show the fallacy of polytheism and 
to discourage idolatrj^ which the heathen 

Eracticed. God is denominated "one 
ord." Deut. 6 : 4. Over against the false 
deities of the heathen, he is designated the 
" hving " God. This behef in God as one 
was a chief mark of the Jewish rehgion. — 
Condensed from Schaff. 

Gog and Magog {gdg and md'gdg). 
Ezek. 38 : 2. Magog was the name of one 
of Japheth's sons. Gen, 10 : 2. It was also 
a general name of a country north of the 
Caucacus or Mount Taurus, or for the peo- 
ple of that district. Gog was the king of 
the country. This people seems to have 
sustained relations of hostility to Israel, 
and is associated with Antichrist. Rev. 
20:8. 

Golan (go'lan), circle. One of the six 
cities of refuge. It was in Bashan, and the 
most northerly of the three cities of refuge 
east of the Jordan. Deut. 4:43; Josh, 20: 
8 ; 21 : 27 ; X Chron. 6 : 71, 



GOLD 



OF THE BIBLE. 



GOVERNOR 



Gold. G«n. 2 : 11. Several places are 
mentioned by the sacred writers as abound- 
ing in gold ; such as Ophir, Job 28 : 16 ; Par- 
vaim, 2 Chron. 3:6; Sheba and Raamah, 
Ezek. 27 : 22. Until long after the time of 
David gold was not coined, but was sold by- 
weight as a precious article of commerce. 

Goliath (go-Wath), splendor. A giant of 
Oath, who for forty days defied the armies 
of Israel. 1 Sam. 17. His height was " six 
cubits and a span," which, taking the cubit 
at 18 inches, would make liim 93^ feet high. 
In 2 Sam. 21 : 19 we find that another Goh- 
ath of Gath was slain by Elhanan, also a 
Bethlehemite. 

Gomer (go'mer), perfect. 1. The eldest 
son of Japheth, Gen. 10 : 2, 3, the father of 
the early Cimmerians, of the later Cimbri 
and the other branches of the Celtic fam- 
ily. 2. The wife of Hosea. Hos. 1 : 3. 

Gomorrah {po-mdr'rah), submersion. One 
of the five cities in the vale of Siddim, 
Gen. 14 : 1-11 ; destroyed for its wickedness. 
Gen. 18 : 20 ; 19 : 24, 28 ; made a warning by 
Moses, Deut. 29 : 23 ; 32 : 32 ; referred to by 
Isaiah, 1:9, 10 ; by Jeremiah, 23 : 14 ; 49 : 
18 ; 50 : 40 ; by Amos, 4 : 11 ; by Zephaniah, 
2:9; by our Saviour, Matt. 10 : 15 ; Mark 6 : 
11, A. V. ; by Paul, quoting Isaiah, Rom. 9 : 
29 ; by Peter and Jude, 2 Pet. 2 : 6. Its site 
is disputed. Some place it at the southern, 
others at the northern, end of the Dead 
Sea. 

Gopher-wood. The ark was made of 
this material. Gen. 6 : 14. It was some 
resinous wood, such as cedar, pine, fir, or 
cypress, which was considered by the an- 
cients as the most durable wood. It 
abounded in Syria, was used very com- 
monly for shipbuilding, and was almost 
the only wood which could furnish suita- 
ble timber for so large a vessel as the ark. 

Goshen {go'shen). 1. The portion of 
Egypt assigned to Israel. Gen. 45:5, 10; 
46 : 28 ; 47 : 27 ; 50 : 8. It probably bordered 
on the Tardtic branch of the Nile, hence 
called Zoan or Tanis, Ps. 78:12, and 
reached from the Mediterranean to the Red 
sea. It was suited to shepherds, and 
abounded in vegetables.. It contained the 
treasure-cities Rameses and Pithom. Go- 
shen was near the royal capital, Gen. 47 : 27 
compared with 48 : 1, 2 ; Ex. 5 : 20 ; appears 
to have been the staiting-place of the Is- 
raelites in their journey to the land of 
promise. Ex. 12 : 37, 38. 2. A district in 
Palestine, perhaps between Gibeon and 
Gaza. Josh. 10 : 41 ; 11 : 16. 3. A city in 
the hill-country of Judah. Josh. 15 : 51. 

Gospel. From the Anglo-Saxon God- 
spell, "good tidings," is the Enghsh trans- 
lation of the Greek euaggelion, which sig- 
nifies "good" or "glad tidings." Luke 2 : 
10; Acts 13:32. The same word in the 
original is rendered in Rom. 10 : 15 by the 
two equivalents "gospel" and "glad tid- 
ings." The term refers to the good news 
of the new dispensation of redemption ush- 
ered in by the hfe, death, and resurrection 
of Jesus Christ. The "good news" is de- 
nominated either simply the " gospel," 
Matt. 26:13, or else "the gospel of the 
kingdom," Matt. 9 : 35 ; of "Jesus Christ," 



Mark 1:1;" of peace," Rom. 10 : 15 A. V., but 
omitted in R. V. ; Eph. 6 : 15 : of " salva- 
tion," Eph. 1 : 13 ; of " God," 1 Thess. 2:9; 
and of grace. Acts 20: 24. The four Gospels 
were issued probably during the latter 
half of the first century— those of Matthew 
and Mark and Luke before the destruction 
of Jerusalem ; and that of John towards 
the close of the century. Before the end 
of the second century, there is abundant 
evidence that the four Gospels, as one col- 
lection, were generally used and accepted. 
In the fourth Gospel the narrative coincides 
with that of the other three in a few pas- 
sages only. The common explanation is that 
John, writing last, at the close of the first 
century, had seen the other Gospels, and 
purposely abstained from writing anew 
what they had sufficiently recorded. In 
the other three Gospels there is a great 
amount of agreement. If we suppose the 
history that they contain to be divided into 
89 sections, in 42 of these all the three nar- 
ratives coincide, 12 more are given by Mat- 
thew and Mark only, 5 by Mark and Luke 
only, and 14 by Matthew and Luke. To 
these must be added 5 pecuhar to Matthew, 
2 to Mark and 9 to Luke, and the enumer- 
ation is complete. But this apphes only to 
general coincidence as to the facts narrated 
— the amount of verbal coincidence, that 
is, the passages either verbally the same or 
coinciding in the use of many of the same 
words, is much smaller. The First Gospel 
was prepared by Matthew for the Jew. He 
gives us the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah 
of the Jews, the Messianic royalty of Jesus. 
Mark wrote the Second Gospel from the 
preaching of Peter. Luke wrote the Third 
Gospel for the Greek. It is the gospel of 
the future, of progressive Christianity, of 
reason and culture seeking the perfection 
of manhood. John, " the beloved disciple," 
wrote the Fourth Gospel for the Christian, 
to cherish and train those who have en- 
tered the new kingdom of Christ, into the 
highest spiritual hfe. See Matthew, Mark, 
Liuke, and John. Paul saj^s : "I am 
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; for it 
is the power of God unto salvation to every 
one that beheveth." Rom. 1 : 16. To the 
Corinthians he writes : " I came not to you 
with excellency of speech or of wisdom, 
declaring unto you the testimony of God. 
For I determined not to know anything 
among you, save Jesus Christ, and him 
crucified." ICor. 2:1, 2. 

Gourd. 1. Jonah 4 : 6-10. The plant 
intended is the Ricinus communis, or castor- 
oil plant, which, a native of Asia, is now 
naturahzed in America, Africa, and the 
south of Europe. 2. The wild gourd of 2 
Kings 4: 39, gathered by one of "the sons 
of the prophets," is a poisonous gourd, sup- 
posed to be the colocynth, which bears a 
fruit of the color and size of an orange. 
Orientals can easily understand the cause 
of the mistake. 

Governor. Various Hebrew terms are 
thus translated : thus it is used to desig- 
nate certain provincial officers of the 
Assyrian, Babylonian, Median and Per- 
sian empires. The original word is pechuh, 

99 



GOZAN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



HADAD-RIMMON 



probably akin to the modern pacha. Sev- 
eral of these governors presided over dis- 
tricts on the western side of the Euphrates, 
Neh. 2:7, 9 ; and they were inferior to the 
satraps, or king's heutenants. Ezra 8 : 36. 
In the New Testament the Roman procura- 
tor of Judea is called the " governor," e. g., 
Matt. 27 : 2, 11, 14 ; a kindred word being 
used to describe the authority of Tiberius, 
Luke 3 : 1, where our version'has " reign." 
The ' ' governor " of a marriage-feast was the 
bridegroom's friend, -who took charge of 
the entertainment, John 2 : 8, 9. The " gov- 
ernor" of Damascus would seem to have 
been the ethnarch who held the place as 
the king's lieutenant or vassal. 2 Cor. 11 : 
32. The "governors " of a minor were the 
trustees of his property, R. V. "stewards." 
Gal. 4 : 2. The " governor" of a ship was 
the steei-sman. See R. V., Jas. 3 : 4. 

Gozan (gO'zan), quarry (f). A district to 
which the Israelites were carried captive. 
2 Kings 17 : 6 ; 18 : 11 ; 19 : 12 ; 1 Chron. 5 : 
26 ; Isa. 37 : 12. Gozan must not be consid- 
ered as a river ; rather the river mentioned 
in 1 Chron. 5 : 26 ran through it ; it was 
probably the region called Gauzanitis by 
Ptolemy, and Mygdonia by other writers. 

Grapes. See Vine. 

Grass. There are several Hebrew words 
which are translated "grass" in our ver- 
sion ; but the translation is not uniform. 
Once, N;im. 11 :5, the word ordinarily trans- 
lated "grass" is rendered "leeks."" That 
w^hich grows upon the flattened terraces of 
eastern house-tops is verj^ soon withered by 
the scorching rays of the sun. 2 Kings 19 : 
26 ; Ps. 90 : 5, 6 ; 129 : 6 ; Isa. 40 : 6-8 ; 1 Pet. 
1:24. 

Grasshopper. See Locust. 

Great Sea. Num. 34 : 6. The Medi- 
teiTanean sea; called also "utmost sea" 
and the " hinder sea ; " R. V., " eastern sea" 
and " western sea." Joel 2 : 20 ; Zech. 14 : 8. 
See Sea. 

Greece (greeQe), or Hellas {hel'las). The 
well-known country in the southeast of 
Europe. It is named four times in the Old 
Testament as Greece or Grecia. Zech. 9 : 13 ; 
Dan. 8 : 21 ; 10 : 20 ; 11 : 2, and once in the 
New Testament, Acts 20 : 2. It or its people 
are referred to in Hebrew history as Javan, 
Isa. 66 : 19 ; Ezek. 27 : 13, 19, and m apostohc 
history as Achaia. Its cities noticed in 
Scripture are Athens, Corinth, and Cen- 
chrea. 

Gre eks, Grecians. The "Greeks" 
were those Greeks by race. Acts 16 : 1, 3 ; 18 : 
17 A. v., but the R. V. omits "the Greeks" 
and reads "they all;" or else Gentiles as 
opposed to Jews, Rom. 2 : 9, 10, " Gentile" 
A. v., but the margin of the A. V. and the 
text of the R. V. read " Greek." But Gre- 
cians were foreign Jews as .distinct from 
those in Palestine, who were called " He- 
brews." Acts 11 : 20. The Greeks and He- 
brews first met when the Tyrians sold the 
Jews to the Greeks. Joel 3 : 6. "Prophet- 
ical notice of Greece occurs in Dan. 8 : 21, 
etc., where the history of Alexander and 
his successors is rapidly sketched. Zech. 
9 : 13 foretells the triumphs of the Macca- 
bees over the Graeco-Syrian empire, while 

X09 



Isaiah looks forward to the conversion of 
the Greeks, amongst other Gentiles, through 
the instrumentahty of Jewish missionaries. 
Isa. 66 : 19." 

Greyhound. Prov. 30 : 31. The Hebrew 
word means "one well girt or knit in the 
loins ; " see margin of the R. V. ; hence it 
mav refer to the war-horse, or to a wrestler. 
Comp. Job 39 : 19-25. 

Grove. The translation, except in Gen. 
21 : 33 A. V. (the R. V. reads "tamarisk tree)," 
of the Hebrew word asherah; but since 
asherah is an idol or an idolatrous pillar — 
an image of Astarte, and not a "grove," 
the A. V. is misleading, as in 1 Kings 18 : 19 ; 
2 Kings 13 : 6, and other places, where 
the R. V. transfers the Hebrew word and 
reads "Asherah." 

II 

Habakkuk (hab-bdk'kuk or hdb'ak-kHk), 
embi'ace. One of the twelve minor proph- 
ets. He lived in the reign of Jehoiakim or 
of Josiah. His prophecy relates chiefly to 
the invasion of Judsea "by the Chaldseans, 
chap. 1, and the subsequent punishment 
of the Chaldseans themselves, chap. 2. The 
passage, 2 : 4, "the just shall Live by his 
faith," furnished to Paul the text fo*r his 
Epistle to the Romans. Rom. 1 : 17 ; comp. 
Gal. 3 : 11. The third chapter is an eloquent 
and subhme psalm upon the majesty of 
God. Bishop Lowth says, "This anthem is 
unequalled in majesty and splendor of lan- 
guage and imagerj-." 

Habor {hd'b&r). Perhaps rich in vegeta- 
tion. A river of Gozan, 2 Kings 17 : 6 ; 1 
Chron. 5 : 26 ; probably identical with the 
modern Khabour, the Abarrhas and Cha- 
boras of ancient writers, and a branch of 
the Euphrates. 

Hacliilah, TTIll of (Mk'al-ah), the 
darksome hiU. A place in Judah nearZiph, 
and where David with his 600 followers 
hid. 1 Sam. 23:19; compare 14, 15, 18; 
26 : 3. 

Hadad (ha'ddd), clamor, a Syrian deity, 
the sun. 1. One of the kings who reigned 
in Edom ; his capital city was Avith. He 
defeated the J^lidianites in the field of 
Moab. Gen. 36 : 35 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 46. 2. An- 
other later king of Edom, the last enumer- 
ated in the early genealogies. 1 Chron. 1 : 50, 
51. In Gen. 36": 39 he is called Hadar. In 
1 Chron. 1 : 51, a later record, his death is 
noted. 3. An Edomite of the royal family. 
1 Kings 11 : 14-25. 

Hadadezer {hdd-ad-e'zer), or Hadare- 
zer (hdd-ar-e'zer), Hadad' s help. A king of 
Zobah. He was twice defeated by king 
David's armies. 2 Sam. 8 : 3 ; 10 : 16. On 
the first occasion 22. 000 of the enemy were 
slain and 1000 chariots were taken. Among 
the spoils were shields of gold. 1 Chron. 18 : 
4-7, which David took to Jerusalem. Some 
vears afterward they became tributary to 
David. 1 Chron. 19 : 16-19. 

Hadad-rimmon {hd'dad-rim'mon). A 
place probably named from two Syrian 
idols, Hadad, the sun-god, and Rimmon. 
It was in the valley of Megiddo, Zech. 12 ; 



HADES 



OF THE BIBLE. 



HAM 



11, and the scene of a great lamentation 
over the death of Josiah. 2 Kings 23 : 29 ; 2 
Chron. 35 : 20-25. 

Hades. The unseen world, the spirit 
world. Occurs eleven times in the Greek 
Testament, Matt. 11 : 23 ; 16 : 18 ; Acts 2 : 31 ; 
Rev. 1 : 18, etc., and is retained in the R. V. 
to distinguish it from Gehenna ("hell")- 
The word is used in Homer as a proper 
noun for Pluto, the. god of the unseen or 
lower world. In later writers it signifies 
the unseen spirit world, the abode of the 
dead. 1. The Greek view of Hades and 
the Roman view of Orcus is that of a place 
for all the dead in the depths of the earth. 
2. The Hebrew Sheol is the equivalent for 
the Greek Hades, and is so translated in the 
Septuagint. It is Ukewise the subterranean 
abode of all the dead, but only their tem- 
porary abode until the advent of the Mes- 
siah or the final judgment, and is divided 
into two departments, called Paradise or 
Abraham's bosom for the good, and Gehenna 
or hell for the bad. 3. The New Testament 
Hades does not differ essentially from the 
Hebrew Sheol, but Christ has broken the 
power of death, dispelled the darkness of 
Hades, and revealed to believers the idea of 
heaven as the state and abode of bhss in 
immediate prospect after a holy hfe. The 
A. V. translates Hades and Qehenna by the 
same word, " hell," except in 1 Cor. 15 : 55, 
"grave," R, V. reads "death," and thus 
obhterates the important distinction be- 
tween the realm of the dead or spirit world 
and the place of torment. Hades is a tem- 
porary abode — heaven and hell are perma- 
nent and final. Since Christ's descent into 
Hades, or the unseen, the spirit world, be- 
Uevers need not fear to enter this realm 
through death. Christ declares, " I am 
alive for evermore. Amen ; and have the 
keys of death and of Hades." Rev. 1 : 18, 
R.V. 

Hagfar {hd'gar), flight. An Egyptian 
woman, the bond-servant of Sarah, whom 
the latter gave as a concubine to Abraham, 
and Hagar despised her mistress. Gen. 16 : 
1-4. Hagar fled. On her return she gave 
birth to Ishmael, and Abraham was then 
86 years old. When Ishmael was about 16 
years old, he was caught by Sarah making 
sport of her young son Isaac, and Sarah de- 
manded the expulsion of Hagar and her 
son. Hagar again fled toward Egypt, and 
when in despair at the want of water, an 
angel again appeared to her, pointed out a 
fountain close by, and renewed the former 
promises to her. Gen. 21 : 9-21. Paul, Gal. 
4 : 25,- refers to her as the type of the old 
covenant. 

Hagarenes, Hagarites (hd'gar-enes', 
hd'gar-ltes), (named from Hagar). A people 
dwelhng to the east of Palestine, with 
whom the tribes of Reuben made war in 
the time of Saul. 1 Chron. 5 : 10, 18-20. The 
same people are mentioned in Ps. 83 : 6. 

Haggai {hdg'ga-l or hdg'gdi), festive. A 
prophet after the captivity, in the second 
year of Darius Hystaspes, or b. c. 520, Hag. 
1 : 1. Nothing is known of his life. 

The Prophecy op, which is prose in 
form, concerns the repair of the temple, X : 
7 



1-12 ; 2 : 10-20, the glory of the second tem- 
ple, 2 : 1-9, and the triumph of Zerubbabel 
over his enemies. 2 : 20-23. 

Hair. The Hebrews allowed the hair to 
grow thick and somewhat long. Ezek. 8 : 3. 
Baldness was disUked, as sometimes symp- 
tomatic of leprosy, Lev. 13 : 40-44: hence the 
reproach uttered against Elisha, 2 Kings 2 : 
23. Cuttings of the hair, such as were usual 
in idolatrous worship, were forbidden. Lev. 

19 : 27 ; Dent. 14 : 1. Still this seems to have 
been a Hebrew custom in mourning, Jer. 7 : 
29 ; while, on the contrary, the Egyptians 
let their hair grow when in distress, and 
shaved or cut it on returning prosperity. 
Gen. 41 : 14 : comp. Herodotus, Ub. ii. 36, iii. 
12. The way in which Absalom let his nair 
grow was no doubt the vanity of a young 
and handsome man. 2 Sam. 14 : 26. Thus, 
to uncover the ear is a common phrase for 
communicating a secret, 1 Sam. 9 : 15, marg., 

20 : 2, marg., as if it were necessary to put 
aside the locks in order to whisper in the 
ear. There was, however, a clear distinction 
made between the sexes in this respect, 1 
Cor. 11 : 14, 15 ; so that the women wore 
their hair very long. Luke 7 : 38 ; John 12 : 3. 
Hence, perhaps, the long hair of the Nazi- 
rites was to indicate humility and subjec- 
tion. Num. 6 : 5. The color of the hair was 
generally black. Song of Sol. 5 : 11 ; but the 
gray hairs of age were regarded as especially 
venerable, Prov. 16 : 31 ; on this account, 
perhaps, the hairs of the Ancient of Days 
are hkened to "pure wool." Dan. 7:9. 
Samson had seven plaits in his hair, Judg. 
16 : 13,19 ; and these must have been fastened 
with a fillet. Ezek. 24 : 17. Of course greater 
pains were taken by females in thus adorn- 
ing themselves ; so that we read in many 
passages of both scripture and the apocry- 
pha of tiring the head and braiding the 
hair. 2 Kings 9 : 30 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 9 ; 1 Pet. 3:3; 
Judith 10 : 3. It was also worn in curls : 
the " well-set hair," Isa. 3 : 24, probably im- 
plied the artistical arrangement of these. 
There are several references to the curls in 
the descriptions of Solomon's Song. Thus 
"the chain of the neck," Song of SoL 4 : 9, 
•might be a long lock or curl falMng down 
upon the neck ; and the " galleries," R. V., 
"tresses," 7 : 5, were the curls in orderly 
array. The hair was commonly anointed 
with fragrant oil or perfume. Ps. 23 : 5 ; 133 : 
2 ; Matt. 6 : 17 ; Luke 7 : 46. 

Ham, hot, or multitude. The son of Noah, 
known for his irreverence to his father. Gen. 
9 : 22, and as the parent of Cush, Mizraim, 
Phut, and Canaan, Gen. 10 : 6, who became 
the founders of large nations. Cush seems 
to have been the father of the peoples dwell- 
ing in Babylonia, southern Arabia, and 
Ethiopia ; Ninlrod was his son. Gen. 10 : 8. 
Mizraim, the Hebrew word for Egypt, was 
the ancestor of the Egyptians. Phut was 
also the ancestor of an African people, as 
appears from the association of his name 
with the descendants of Cush and the Lyd- 
ians, Jer. 46 : 9 ; see margin. Canaan was 
the ancestor of the Phoenicians and other 
tribes inhabiting Palestine. Egypt is called 
" the land of Hani." Ps. 78 : 61 : 105 : 23-27 ; 
106 : 22. 

101 



HAMAN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



HAKAN 



Hainan {hd'man), celebrated. Prime min- 
ister of Ahasuerus, the Persian monarch. 
Esth. 3 : 1. His pride was hurt because 
Mordecai, the Jew, refused to bow and do 
him reverence. Esth. 3:2. He was executed 
on the very gallows he had prepared for 
Mordecai. Esth. 7 : 10. The Jews, on the 
mention of his name on the day of Purim, 
hiss. 

Hamath (hd'math), fortress, citadel. A 
city of Syria. It was founded by a son of 
Canaan, Gen. 10 : 18 ; Num. 34 : 8, and was 
situated in the valley of the Orontes. It 
was 165 miles in a straight line north of 
Jerusalem ; was visited by the spies, Num. 
13 : 21, and it is frequently noticed as the 
northern boundary of Palestine. Num. 34 : 
8 ; Josh. 13 : 5. Its king, Toi, blessed David 
for his victory over Zobah,. 2 Sam. 8 : 9-12 ; 
Solomon extended his kingdom to Hamath, 
1 Kings 8 : 65 ; 2 Chron. 8 : 4, and built store- 
cities in that region; afterward the city 
and country became independent, but were 
again subdued by Jeroboam II. 2 Kings 14 : 
25; 28. It was taken by the Assyrians, 2 
Kings 18 : 34 ; Isa. 10 : 9 ; Amos calls it " Ha- 
math the great," and speaks of its desola- 
tion. Amos 6 : 2. Its modern name is Ha- 
mah, and it is now a place of 30,000 in- 
habitants. 

Hananiali (hdn'a-nVah), whom God hath 
given. 1. A false prophet and contemporary 
with Jeremiah. Jer. 28 : 3. He died that 
year. Jer. 28 : 17. There are 15 persons of 
this name mentioned in the Old Testament. 

Handicraft. Acts 18 : 3 ; 19 : 25 ; Rev. 
18 : 22. Says Rabbi Jehuda, " He who does 
not teach his son a trade is much the same 
as if he taught him to be a thief." Metal- 
workers. The preparation of iron for use 
either in war, in agriculture, together with 
iron, working in brass, or rather copper 
alloyed with tin (bronze), is mentioned as 
practiced in antediluvian times. Gen. 4 : 22. 
After the establishment of the Jews in 
Canaan, the occupation of a smith became 
a distinct employment. 1 Sam. 13 : 19. The 
smith's work and its results are often men- 
tioned in Scripture. 2 Sam. 12 : 31 ; 1 Kings 
6:7; 2 Chron. 26 : 14 ; Isa. 44 : 12 ; 54 ; 16. 
The worker also in gold and silver must 
have found employment among the He- 
brews in very early times. Gen. 24 : 22, 53 ; 
35 : 4 ; 38 : 18. Various processes of the gold- 
smith's work are illustrated by Egyptian 
monuments. After the conquest frequent 
notices are found of both moulded and 
wrought metal, including soldering. Car- 
venters are often mentioned in Scripture. 
Gen. 6 : 14 ; Ex. 37 ; Isa. 44 : 13. In the pal- 
ace built by David for himself the work- 
men employed were chiefly foreigners. 2 
Sam. 5 : 11. That the Jewish carpenters 
must have been able to carve with some 
skill is evident from Isa. 41 : 7 ; 44 : 13. In 
the New Testament the occupation of a 
carpenter is mentioned in connection with 
Joseph the husband of Mary, and our 
Lord himself was a carpenter. Matt. 13 : 
55; Mark 6:3. Masons and stone-cutters 
were employed by David and Solomon, 
many of whom were Phoenicians. 1 Kings 
5 : 18. The large stones used in Sol- 
102 



omon's temple are said by Josephus to 
have been fitted together exactly without 
either mortar or clamps, but the foundation 
stones to have been fastened with lead. 
For ordinary building mortar was used ; 
sometimes bitumen, as at Babylon. Gen. 
11 : 3 ; Ezek. 13 : 10. The use of whitewash 
on tombs is noticed by our Lord. Matt. 23 : 
27. Shipboat-building was common to some 
extent, for there were the fishing-vessels on 
the Lake of Gennesaret. Matt. 8 : 23 : 9:1; 
John 21 : 3, 8. Solomon built ships for his 
foreign trade. 1 Kings 9 : 26, 27 ; 22 : 48 ; 2 
Chron. 20 : 36, 37. Apothecaries or perfumers 
appear to have formed a guild or associa- 
tion. Ex. 30 : 25, 35 ; 2 Chron. 16 : 14 ; Neh. 
3:8; Eccles. 7 : 1 ; 10 : 1. The arts of spin- 
ning and weaving both wool and linen were 
carried on in early times bv women. Ex. 
35 : 25, 26 ; Lev. 19 : 19 ; Deut, 22 : 11 ; 2 Kings 
23:7; Ezek. 16:16; Prov. 31:13, 24. The 
loom with its beam, 1 Sam. 17 : 7, pin, Judg. 
16 : 14, and shuttle. Job 7 : 6, was perhaps 
introduced later, but as early as David's 
time. 1 Sam. 17 : 7. Dyeing and dressing 
cloth were practiced in Palestine, as were 
also tanning and dressing leather. Josh. 2 : 
15-18 ; 2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4; Acts 9 : 43. 
Barbers. Num. 6 : 5, 19 ; Ezek. 5 : 1. Tent- 
makers are noticed in Acts 18:3. Potters 
are frequently alluded to. Jer. 18 : 2-6. 
Bakers are noticed in Scripture, Jer. 37 : 21 ; 
Hos. 7:4; and the well-known valley Tyro- 
poeon probably derived its name from the 
occupation of the cheese-makers, its in- 
habitants. Dealers in meat, not Jewish, 
are spoken of in 1 Cor. 10 : 25. 

Hannah {han'nah), grace. One of the 
wives of Elkanah, and the mother of 
Samuel. Her song of praise on this occa- 
sion, 1 Sam. 2 : 1-10, is a magnificent hymn 
to the holiness and justice of Jehovah, and 
has been compared with the song of Mary. 
Luke 1:46-55. 

Hanun (hd'nun), favored. 1. The son of 
Nahash, king of the Ammonites. He dis- 
graced David's ambassadors, and thus 
caused the ruin of his people. 2 Sam. 10 ; 
1 Chron. 19. 2. One who, with the inhab- 
itants of Zanoah, helped to repair the wall 
of Jerusalem. Neh. 3 : 13. 3. Another per- 
son, apparently, who also helped in repair- 
ing the wall. Neh. 3 : 30. 

Haran {hd'ran), a mountaineer. 1. The 
brother of Abraham, and the father of Lot. 
Gen. 11 : 26. 2. A Levite. 1 Chron. 23 : 9. 

Haran {hd'ran), par died, dry; called 
also Charran {kdr'ran). Acts 7 : 2, 4. The 
place to which Terah removed from Ur of 
the Chaldees. Terah died there. Gen. 11 : 
31, 32 ; Abram and Lot moved to Canaan, 
Gen. 12 : 4, while Nahor remained at Haran, 
which was called the city of Nahor. Gen. 
24 : 10. It was the early home of Rebekah, 
and Jacob afterward resided there with 
Laban. Gen. 27 : 43. The city was in Mes- 
opotamia, and more definitely in Padan- 
aram, Gen. 24 : 10 ; 25 : 20, and also in west- 
ern Assyria. It is generally identified with 
the modern Haran, the Roman Carrse, situ- 
ated on the river BeUk — the ancient Bili- 
chus— about 50 miles above its entrance 
into the Euphrates. 



HARE 



OF THE BIBLE, 



HAZAEL 



Hare. Deut. 14 : 7. Of the hare, which 
resembles the rabbit, five species or varieties 
are found in Palestine. This animal was 
declared unclean by the Jewish law, Lev. 
11 : 6, " because he cheweth the cud, but di- 
videth not the hoof. ' ' For popular guidance 
this description was better than a more 
scientific one, and is explained under 
Coney. 

Harod (ha'rod),tremUing, terror. Aspnng 
by which Gideon encamped, and where 
probably the trial of the army by their mode 
of drinking was made, Judg. 7 ; perhaps the 
same with the fountain of Jezreel. 1 Sam. 
29 : 1. It is hkely that the modern 'Ain Ja- 
ICid is the spring of Harod. 

Harosheth {ha-ro'shUh), working in wood, 
etc., of the Gentiles. So called from the 
mixed people who dwelt there. A place 
in the north of Palestine, the home of Sis- 
era, Judg. 4 : 2, 13, 16, and the place of as- 
sembUng of Jabin's army. 

Harp. The national musical instrument 
of the Hebrews. Its invention is credited 
to Jubal before the flood. Gen. 4 : 21. Jo- 
-sephus records that the harp had ten strings 
and that it was played on with the plec- 
trum. Sometimes it was smaller, having 
only eight strings, and was usually played 
with the fingers. 

Harrow. It is very questionably 
whether the Hebrews used a harrow in our 
sense of the term. In Job 39 : 10 ; Isa. 28 : 
24 ; Hos. 10 : 12, breaking the clods is alluded 
to; but this was before sowing the seed, 
just to level the ground. The word trans- 
lated "harrow" in 2 Sam. 12 :31 ; 1 Chron. 
20 : 3, means a sharp threshing-sledge. 

Hart, Hind. Ps. 42 : 1. The former is 
the male stag, one of the most graceful and 
beautiful of all animals. It was clean by 
the Levitical law, Deut. 12 : 15 ; 14 : 5, and 
the grace and agiUty of its motions are al- 
luded to in Song of Sol. 2:9; Isa. 35 : 6. 
The stag lolls or pants like the dog, and is 
soon exhausted by hunger. Jer. 14 : 5 ; 
Lam. 1 : 6. The hind is the female stag. 
She is smaller and weaker than her mate, 
the hart, and has no horns. She is sure 
and swift of foot, and leaps fearlessly 
among the rocks and precipices. 2 Sam. 
22 : 34 : Ps. 18 : 33 ; Hab. 3 : 19. The instinct- 
ive affection of the hart and hind is alluded 
to, Prov. 5 : 18, 19, and Song of Sol. 2:7; 3 : 
5. The figurative prediction of Jacob re- 
specting Naphtali, Gen. 49 : 21, would be 
more appropriately rendered, "Naphtali is 
a deer roaming at large ; he shooteth forth 
noble antlers." The antlers or horns indi- 
cate the strength and health of the stag, 
and the whole metaphor expresses the in- 
crease of the tribe and the fertihty of their 
portion in Judsea. 

Harvest in Palestine was in March and 
April, and the term is frequently employed 
to designate this season of the year. Josh. 
3 : 15 ; Prov. 6 : 8. The harvests of the dif- 
ferent grains happened in regular succes- 
sion, and are known as the "wheat-har- 
vest," 1 Sam. 12 : 17, and the " barley-har- 
vest," Ruth 1:22. The grain was reaped 
with sickles, Jer. 50 : 16, gathered in hand- 
fuls, Ruth 2 : 16, and done up into sheaves, 



Ps. 129:7. It was then conveyed to the 
barns or threshing-floors, sometimes in 
carts, Amos 2 : 13, where it was threshed or 
winnowed. One mode of threshing was by 
the treading of oxen, which it was forbid- 
den to muzzle. Deut. 25 : 4. Harvest was a 
season of great joy and merriment. Isa. 9 : 
3. Our Lord refers to the end of the world 
under the term of harvest. Matt, 13:39, 
whose reapers will be the angels. The angel 
is represented figuratively as at that time 
thrusting in his sickle, " for the harvest of 
the earth is ripe." Rev. 14 : 15. 

H a u r a n (haw'ran), caves, caverns. A 
country east oi the Jordan ; the northeast- 
ern boundary of Palestine, Ezek. 47 : 16, 18, 
and the Auranitis of the Greeks, and now 
known, as the Hauran. When the IsraeUtes 
conquered the land, the whole of this re- 
gion appears to have been subject to Og, 
the king of Bashan, Num. 21 : 33-35 ; Deut. 
3 : 1-5, and a large portion of it was allotted 
to Manasseh. The ruins scattered over the 
region are very extensive and remarkable ; 
those built in the caverns are regarded by 
Wetzstein as the most ancient, and possibly 
reaching back to the times of the Rephaim, 
Gen. 14 : 5 ; 15 : 20, and Deut. 3 : 11. 

Havilali {hdv'i-lah or ha-vl'lah), circle, dis- 
trict. A country abounding in gold, bdel- 
Uum, and onyx stone. Gen. 2 : 11. Havi- 
lah is mentioned as a boundary of the chil- 
dren of Ishmael. Gen. 25 : 18. Kalisch 
supposes that it was a country between the 
Persian and the Arabian gulfs ; others hold 
that the " country of Havilah " in 1 Sam. 
15 : 7 refers to the region about Mount Seir, 
and that it was not probably identical with 
the Havilah of Gen. 2 : 11. 

Havotli-Jair (hd'voth-jd'ir), villages of 
Jair. A title apphed to certain villages east 
of the Jordan which Jair captured and 
held. Num. 32 : 41 ; Judg. 10 : 4. The towns 
of Jair are included with the 60 cities given 
to Manasseh, Josh. 13 : 30 ; 1 Chron. 2 : 23 ; 
but the word rendered "villages" usually 
means a small collection of hovels in a 
country place. These towns were a part of 
one of the revenue districts of Solomon, 1 
Kings 4 : 13. 

Hazael (Mz'a-el or hd'za-eV), whom God 
beholds, i. e., cares for. A king of Syria. 1 
Kings 19 : 15, 17. Jehu was to extirpate the 
authors of idolatry, Hazael to chastise the 
whole nation of Israel, and Elisha to slay 
with the quick and powerful sword of the 
divine word. Comp. Jer. 1 : 10. When 
Elisha visited Damascus, and Ben-hadad, 
who was sick, had sent Hazael, a trusted 
servant, to inquire whether he should re- 
cover, Elisha intimated his approaching 
sovereignty. Hazael was astonished. The 
next day, however, Ben-hadad died, appar- 
ently by Hazael's hand, though some ques- 
tion this ; and Hazael succeeded as king ; 
and his reign, with the exception of the 
time when he was called on to defend him- 
self against the Assyrian power, was occu- 
pied with continual wars upon Israel and 
even against Judah. 2 Kings 8 : 7-15, 28, 
29 ; 9 : 14, 15 ; 10 : 32, 33 ; 12 : 17, 18 ; 13 : 3 ; 2 
Chron. 22 : 5, 6. Hazael is supposed to have 
reigned about 46 years, 886-840 b.c. He 

X03 



HAZOE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIOyARY 



HELL 



was succeeded by his son, Ben-liadad n. 
2 Kings 13 : 22-25 ; Amos 1 : -i. 

Hazor {hd'zdr), enclosure. 1. The city of 
"King Jabin ; destroyed bv Joshua, Josh. 11 
1, 10, 11 ; given to XaphtaU, Josh. 19 : 36 
again possessed by the Canaanites, Judg. 4 

2. who had for its king Jabin — a generic 
title, probably, like Pharaoh in Egj'pt — who 
reigned in Hazor and whose general was 
Sisera. It was fortified by Solomon, 1 Kings 
9 : 15 ; its people were carried into captivit}' 
by Tiglath-pileser. 2 Kings 15 : 29. The 
cirj- appears to have been situated on a hill 
in the midst of a plain, and was a strong- 
hold. Josh. 11 : 4 ; Judg. 4:3. 2. A city in 
the south of Judah; probably should" be 
written Hazor-ithman. Josh.' 15 : 23. 3. 
Another town of Judah ; called Hazor-ha- 
dattah, or New Hazor. Josh. 15 : 25. 4. 
Hezron, which is Hazor, Josh. 15 : 25 ; ren- 
dered by Canon Cook "Kerioth Hezron, 
which i5 Hazor.'' It is supposed to have 
been the home of Judas Iscariot, the man 
of Kerioth, Matt. 10 : 4 ; Conder suggested 
Kheshram, north of Beer-sheba, as the site 
of this Hazor. 

Heart. Acts 16 : 14. The seat of the affec- 
tions, desires, hopes, and motives. John 
14 : 1 ; Esth. 1 : 10. The term is also used 
by the Bible writers to designate the under- 
standing, 1 Cor. 2 : 9, and intellectual per- 
ceptions. It is further a general term for 
the spiritual nature of man. Isa. 1:5:2 
C-or. 4:6. In the latter passage the apostle 
speaks of the hght shining m our heans, 
teaching us of Christ as the one who re- 
veals God. The heart is declared to be 
corrupt and full of evil, Eccl. 9 : 3, and de- 
ceit, Jer. 17 : 9, the seat of sin and crime, 
Matt. 15 : 19, as also of faith. Rom. 10 : 10. 
The Lord ••looketh on the heart," 1 Sam. 
16 : 7, in contrast to the outward appear- 
ance, and we are com m anded to cultivate 
it, as the most important part of out na- 
ture, rather than external appearances. 
Prov. 4:4: Joel 2 : 13. The expression, '• to 
speak in the heart," 1 Sam. 1 : 13, is synony- 
mous with " to think." 

Heaven. There are fotir Hebrew words 
thus rendered in the Old Testament. 1. 
BdkVa, A. V. firmament. 2. Shdmayim ; 
used in the expression, "the heaven and 
the earth," or '• the upper and lower re- 
gions." Gen. 1:1. 3. Mdrom, used for 
heaven in Ps. 18 : 16 ; Isa. 24 : 18 : Jer. 25 : 
30. Properlv speaking, it means a moun- 
tain, as in Ps. 102 : 19 : Ezek. 17 : 23. 4. 
Shechdkim, "expanses." with reference to 
the extent of heaven. Deut. 33 : 26 ; Job 35 : 
5. Paul's expression, " third heaven," 2 Cor. 
12 : 2, has led to much conjecture. Grotius 
said that the Jews divided the heaven into 
three parts, viz., 1. The air or atmosphere, 
where clouds gather. 2. The firmament, 
in which the sun, moon, and stars are fixed. 

3. The upper heaven, the abode of God and 
his angels. 

Heber {he^r). alliance. HebertheKenite, 
the husband of Jael,who slew Sisera. Judg. 
4:21, 22. See Jael, Sisera. Heber ap- 
I)ears to have led a life apart from the rest 
of his tribe. He must have been a person 
of consequence, from the fact that it is 



stated that there was peace between bim 
and the powerful king Jabin. Judg. 4 : 17. 
: There are seven persons of this name men- 
tioned in the Scriptures. 
j Hebrew (he'breic), a name given to 
I Abram by the Canaanites, Gen, 14 : 13. be- 
1 cause he had crossed the Euphrates. The 
I name some derive from '^ber, "beyond, on 
; the other side," Abraham and his pos- 
' terity being called Hebrews in order to ex- 
! press a distinction between the races east 
and west of the Euphrates. It may also be 
derived from Eber, or Heber, one of the an- 
; cestors of Abraham. Gen. 10 : 24. See Jews. 
: Hebrews, Epistle to the. The aim 
of this epistle is to prove from the Old Tes- 
i tament the divinity, humanity, atonement 
and intercession of Christ, and his pre- 
eminence over Moses and the angels of 
; God ; to demonstrate the superiority- of the 
gospel to the law, and the real object and 
design of the Mosaic institution. Tne name 
of the writer of this epistle is nowhere men- 
tioned. Its authorship is disputed, many 
ascribing it to the apostle Paul, others to 
i Aftollos, Luke, or Barnabas. It is beUeved 
to have been written in Italv about a. d. 
63. 
; H. e It TO 11 (he^r 071), friendship. An an- 
' cient town of Palestine, about 20 miles 
south of Jerusalem, first called Kiijath-arba, 
or city of Arba. Josh. 21 : 11 ; 15 : 13, 14 ; 
Judg. 1 : 10. It hes about 3000 feet above 
the level of the sea, and is one of the old- 
est towns in the world and mentioned be- 
fore Damascus, Gen, 13 : 18 ; 14 : 13 ; and 
was built 7 years before Zoan, or Tanis, in 
Egypt, Num! 13 : 22. Hebron is named about 
forty times in the Old Testament, but no- 
where in the New. Abraham pitched his 
tent under the oaks of Mamre, near He- 
bron, Gen. 13 : 18, and he bought the cave of 
Machpelah, as a burial-place. Gen. 23 : 17- 
20. Hebron was taken by Joshua, Josh. 10 : 
36, 37 : 12 : 10, and the region given to Ca- 
leb, Josh, 14 : 13 ; was rebuilt and made a 
Levitical city and a city of refuge, Josh. 
20 : 7 ; 21 : 11 ; was the roval residence of 
David, 2 Sam. 2 : 1-14 : 1 Kings 2 : 11 ; be- 
came the headquarters of the rebelUous 
Absalom, 2 Sam. 15 : 10 : was fortified by 
Rehoboam and repeopled after the capriv- 
ity. 2 Chron. 11 : 10 ; Neh. 11 : 25. A pool 
is srill shown over which tradition says that 
1 David hung the murderers of Ishbosheth. 
[ and the tomb of Abner and Ishbosheth is 
i also pointed out within an Arab house, and 
the mosque is known to conceal the noted 
; cave of Machpelah, the burial-place of 
^ Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their wives 
except Rachel. The mosque is closed 
against visitors and guarded -nith the strict- 
est care bv the Moslems. 

Helbon (kil'bdn), fertile. A Syrian city 

celebrated for its wine, Ezek. 27 : 18, and 

formerly identified with Aleppo, but later 

: with Helbon, in a wild glen high up in the 

Anti-Lebanon. This valley is celebrated 

; for its fine grapes and vineyards. Robin- 

' son says "the wine of Helbon" is the best 

and most famous wine in the country. 

! Hell. The Enghsh word hell is used 

, to designate the place of the dead, the 



HERESY 



OP THE BIBLE. 



HEROD 



grave, and also the place of puuishment 
after death and the abode of evil spirits. 

It represents four different words in the 
original of Scripture^S/ieoi, Hades, Gehenna, 
and Tartarus. 1. In the Old Testament it is 
used 31 times to render the Hebrew word 
Slieol. Sheol at first seems to have denoted 
the common subterranean abode of all 
human spirits, good and bad (Gen. 37 : 35, 
R. v., death ; Num. 16 : 30), but afterward 
is represented as having in it two distinct 
regions, one for the righteous, Ps. 16 : 11 ; 
17 : 15, the other for the wicked. Ps. 9 : 17 ; 
49 : 14. All the dead are ahke in Sheol, 
but in widelv different circumstances. 
Sheol is variously translated in our Enghsh 
Bible by the terms "hell," "pit," and 
"grave." In many places it is rightly 
translated "grave." 1 Sam. 2:6; Job 14: 
13, etc. Sheol is represented as in the depths 
of the earth. Job 11 : 8 ; Prov. 9 : 18 ; Isa. 38 : 
10, all-devouring, Prov. 1:12, destitute of 
God's presence, Ps. 88 : 10-12, a state of for- 
getfulness, Ps. 6 : 5, insatiable, Isa. 5 : 14, 
remorseless, Song of Sol. 8 : 6, and a place 
of silence, Eccl. 9 : 10. 

2. The New Testament.— The two words 
translated " hell " are Hades and Gehenna. 
Hades occurs eleven times, and is once 
rendered " grave," R.V., " death," 1 Cor. 15 : 
55 ; in all other places " hell." Hades does 
not always refer to the ultimate abode of the 
impenitent and the final state of exclusion 
from God. Matt. 16 : 27. After the crucifix- 
ion, our Lord descended into hades, Acts 
2 : 27, and this is an article of the Apostles' 
Creed, where, however, we use wrongly 
the word "hell." It was in this realm that 
our Lord " preached to the spirits in 
prison." 1 Pet. 3 : 19. 

The Greek word Gehenna occurs twelve 
times in Scripture. It early designated a 
place in the valley of Hiunom, which had 
been the seat of the worehip of Moloch, 
Jer. 7 : 31 ; 2 Chron. 33 : 6 ; 2 Kings 23 : 10, 
and for the deposit of the filth and dead 
animals of the city. Hence it was used to 
denote the final state and abode of lost 
souls. Matt. 5:29; 10:28; 23:15; Jas. 3: 
6, etc. It is here that " their worm dieth 
not" and the "fire is not quenched." 
Mark 9 : 48. Into this realm the rebelUous 
angels were cast, 2 Pet. 2 : 4 (where the 
word is a derivative from the Greek word 
"Tartarus"). At the great day of judg- 
ment the cursed shall go away into this 
abode and receive everlasting punish- 
ment. Matt. 25:46. It is referred to by 
our Lord in solemn and awful tones. Matt. 
5 : 22, 29, 30 ; 10 : 28 ; Mark 9 : 43-48 ; Luke 12 : 
5, and with such accompaniments as indi- 
cate everlasting and remediless ruin. Retri- 
bution will have degrees, Matt. 10:15, in 
character, but none in duration. 

Heresy. Acts 24 : 14, A. V. This term, 
as generally used by the sacred writers, 
signifies a party or division, R. V. " a sect." 
It is derived from a word meaning "to 
choose." The Pharisees, Acts 15 : 5 ; 26 : 5, 
and the Sadducees, Acts 5 : 17, as well as the 
Nazarenes, Acts 24 : 5, 12, 14, were denomin- 
ated heresies. In these passages the word 
is translated " sects." In Acts 24 : 14, where 



Paul speaks of the Christian reUgion as 
" the way which they call heresy," he un- 
doubtedly means to imply that the Chris- 
tian organization was not a separation 
from the Old Testament Church, but the 
true Church itself. In 1 Cor. 11 : 19 ; Gal. 
5 : 20, and 2 Pet. 2 : 1 heresies are referred 
to in connection with the apostolic Church, 
and in the last two cases the implication 
is that they are departures from the fun- 
damental truth of the gospel, and to be 
condemned. Early in the history of the 
Christian Church the word acquired the 
signification it now has, of a departure from 
the fundamentals of gospel truth. 

Hermon (her'mon), a peak, summit. The 
highest mountain in Palestine, Deut. 3:8; 
Josh. 12 : 1 ; Josh. 11 : 17 ; 1 Chron. 5 : 23. It 
towers high above the ancient border city 
of Dan and the fountains of the Jordan, 
and is the most conspicuous and beautiful 
mountain in Palestine or Syria. Hermon 
has three summits, situated like the angles 
of a triangle, and about a quarter of a mile 
from each other. In two passages of Scrip- 
ture this mountain is called Baal-hermon, 
Judg. 3 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 5 : 23, possibly because 
Baal was there worshipped. Hermon was 
probably the scene of the transfiguration, 
as it stands near Csesarea Philippi, where 
we know Christ was just before that event. 
The height of Hermon is reckoned at 
10,000 feet. 

Herod {hSr'od), hero-like. A family of Idu- 
mean origin. Not less than six Herods ex- 
clusive of Archelaus are noted in Scripture : 

1. Herod the Great was the second son of 
Antipater and appointed procurator of 
Judsea by Julius Caesar, b. c. 47. In b. c. 41 
he was appointed by Antony tetrarch of 
Judaea. Forced to abandon Judaea the 
following year, he fled to Rome, and re- 
ceived the appointment of king of Judaea. 
It was some time before his latal illness that 
he must have caused the slaughter of the 
infants at Bethlehem. Matt. 2 : 16-18. He 
adorned Jerusalem with many splendid 
monuments of his taste and magnificence. 
The temple, which he built with scrupulous 
care, was the greatest of these works. The 
restoration was begun b. c. 20, and the 
temple itself was completed in a year and 
a half But fresh additions were constantly 
made in succeeding years, so that it was 
said that the temple was building forty 
and six years, John 2 : 20, the work con- 
tinuing long after Herod's death. Herod 
died at Jericho, b. c. 4. 

2. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the 
Great, first married a daughter of Aretas, 
"king of Arabia Petraea,'' but afterward 
Herodias, the wife of his half brother, 
Herod Philip. Aretas, indignant at the 
insult to his daughter, invaded the terri- 
tory of Herod, and defeated him with great 
loss. This defeat, according to the famous 
passage in Josephus, was attributed by 
many to the murder of John the Baptist, 
which had been committed by Antipas 
shortly before, under the influence of He- 
rodias. Matt. 14 : 4 ; Mark 6 : 17 ff. ; Luke 3 : 
19. At a later time Herodias urged Mm to 
go to Rome to gain the title of king, of. 

105 



HERODIANS 



PEOPLE'S DICTION APY 



filERAPOLlS 



Mark 6 : 14 ; but he was opposed at the 
court of Caligula by the emissaries of 
Agrippa, and condemned to perpetual 
banishment at Lugdunum, a. d. 39. He- 
rodias voluntarily shared his punishment, 
and he died in exile. Pilate took occasion 
from our Lord's residence in GaUlee to send 
Jesus to Herod Antipas, Luke 23 : 6 ff. The 
city of Tiberias, which Antipas founded 
and named in honor of the emperor, was 
the most conspicuous monument of his 
long reign. 

•i. Herod Philip L, PhiUp, Mark 6: 17, 
was the son of Herod the Great and Mari- 
amne. He married Herodias, the sister of 
Agrippa I., by whom he had a daughter, 
Salome. He was excluded from all share 
in his father's possessions in consequence 
of his mother's treachery, and lived after- 
ward in a private station. 

4. Herod Philip II. was the son of Herod 
the Great and Cleopatra. He received as 
his own government Batanea, Trachonitis, 
Auranitis (Gaulanitis), and some parts about 
Jamnia, with the title of tetrarch. Luke 3 : 
1. He built a ne w city on the site of Paneas, 
near the sources of the Jordan, which he 
called Csesarea Philippi, Matt. 16 : 13 ; Mark 
8 : 27, and raised Bethsaida to the rank of a 
city under the title of Julias, and died there 
A. D. 34. He married Salome, the daughter 
of Herod PhiUp I. and Herodias. 

5. Herod Agrippa I. was the son of Aris- 
tobulus and Bernice, and grandson of 
Herod the Great. CaUgula made him 
king, first of the tetrarchy of Philip and 
Lysanias ; afterward the dominions of An- 
tipas were added, and finally Judea and 
Samaria. Agrippa was a strict observer of 
the law, and he sought with success the 
favor of the Jews. It is probable that it 
Avas with this view he put to death James 
the son of Zebedee, and further imprisoned 
Peter. Acts 12 : 1 flf. But his sudden death 
interrupted his ambitious projects. Acts 12 : 
21, 23. 

6. Herod Agrippa II. was the son of 
Herod Agrippa I. In a. d. 52 the emperor 
gave liim the tetrarchies formerly held by 
PhiUp and Lysanias, with the title of king. 
Acts 25 : 13. The relation in which he 
stood to his sister Bernice, Acts 25 : 13, was 
the cause of grave suspicion. It was before 
him that Paul was tried. Acts 26 : 28. 

Herodians {he-rO'di-anz), (from Herod). 
Matt. 22 : 15 ff. ; Mark 12 : 13 fF. Canon 
Cook describes these persons as " that party 
among the Jews who were supporters of 
the Herodian family as the last hope of 
retaining for the Je'ws a fragment of na- 
tional government, as distinguished from 
absolute dependence upon Rome as a prov- 
ince of the empire. Supporters of the 
family of Herod, who held their dominions 
by the grant of the Roman emperor, would 
be in favor of paving tribute to the supreme 
power." Matt. 22:16. 

Herodias (he-ro'di-as). Daughter of 
Aristobulus, one of the sons of Mariamne 
and Herod the Great, and consequently 
sister of Agrippa I. She first married Herod 
Philip I. ; then she eloped from him to 
marry Herod Antipas, her step-uncle. The 

106 



head of John the Baptist was granted at the 
request of Herodias. Matt, 14 : 8-11 ; Mark 
6 : 24-28, A. D. 29. 

H e s li b o n (Msh'bdn), reason, device. A 
city of the Moabites, taken by Sihon, king 
of the Amorites, and made his capital; 
captured and occupied by the Israelites, 
Num. 21 : 25, 26 ; situated on the boundary 
between Reuben and Gad ; rebuilt by Reu- 
ben and made a Levitical city, then being 
territorially a Gadite city. Num. 32 : 3, 37 ; 
Deut. 1:4; 2 : 24^30 ; 3 : 2, 6 ; 4 : 46 ; 29 : 7 ; 
Josh. 9 : 10 ; 12 : 2, 5 ; 13 : 10-27 ; 21 : 39 ; Judg. 
11 : 19, 26 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 81. In later times 
the Moabites regained possession of Hesh- 
bon, so that it is mentioned as a Moabitish 
town in the prophetic denunciations against 
that people. Isa. 15 : 4 ; 16 : 8, 9 ; Jer. 48 : 2, 
34, 45 ; 49 : 3. The ruins of the city still 
exist some 15 miles east of the northern end 
of the Dead sea, on the great table land of 
Moab. A small hill rises 200 feet above the 
general level, and upon this is Heshbon, 
now called Hesban. East of the city are 
the remains of water-courses and an enor- 
mous cistern, or "fish-pond," which illus- 
trates Song of Sol. 7 : 4. 

Hezekiali (hSz'e-kl'ah), whom God 
strengthens. A good king of Judah, who 
succeeded his father Ahaz about 726 B. c, 
and died about 698 B. c. For his history 
see 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chron. 29-32. Com- 
pare Isa. 36-38. He tried to restore the wor- 
ship of Jehovah, removing "high places," 
and destroying the brazen serpent ; con- 
sult 2 Chron. 28 : 22-25 ; for the final de- 
portation of the Ten Tribes see 2 Kings 17 ; 
18 : 9-12 ; and for his revolt against the As- 
syrians compare 2 Kings 18 ; 2 Chron. 32. 
Hezekiah's payment of tribute is noted in 
2 Kings 18 : 13-16. Assyrian annals of Sen- 
nacherib discovered at Nineveh agree with 
this account. A second invasion seems to 
have followed when Sennacherib, Isa. 30 : 
1-7, returned, Isa. 33 : 1. Then came 
Sennacherib's letters from Lachish and 
Libnah, the destruction of a great part of 
his army, and the retreat of the rest to As- 
syria, in answer to Hezekiah's prayer. Com- 
pare Isa. 31 : 8, 9 ; 37 : 33-37. Hezekiah's 
sickness, humiliation, and prolongation of 
life 15 years in peace, and the prediction 
that Babylon, then feeble and friendly, 
would one day carry his descendants into 
captivity are noticed in Old Testament his- 
tory, Isa. 39 ; Micah 4 : 10. Hezekiah col- 
lated the Proverbs of Solomon. Prov. 25 : 1. 
The prophecies of Hosea and Micah were 
dehvered partly in his reign ; compare Jer. 
26 : 17-19 ; and Nahum was perhaps his con- 
temporary. 

Hiddekel (hM'de-kSl), rapid. One of the 
rivers of Eden, the river which " goeth 
eastward to Assyria," Gen. 2 : 14, and which 
Daniel calls "the great river," Dan. 10 :4, 
rightly identified with the Tigris. The 
name now in use among the inhabitants of 
Mesopotamia is Dijleh. 

Hierapolis {hVe-rdp'o-tts), sacred city. 
A city in Proconsular Asia, Col. 4 : 13, near 
the river Lycus, and in sight of Laodicea, 
which was about 5 miles to the south. It 
stood on a high bluflf, with a high moun- 



HIGGAION 



OF THE BIBLE. 



HITTITES 



tain behind it. In the city was the famous 
temple of Pluto, remains of which are still 
to be seen. The ruins of the city are ex- 
tensive, as temples, churches, a triumphal 
arch, a theatre, gymnasium, baths, and 
highly ornamented sarcophagi. 

Higgaion (hig-gd'yon). A term occur- 
ring three times, Ps. 9 : 16 ; 19 : 14 (translated 
"meditation"), and Ps. 92 : 3 (translated 
" solemn sound "). It probably was orig- 
inally a musical term which acquired tlie 
additional signification of solemn thought 
or meditation. 

High Places. The Hebrew word 
bamah is a general term, comprehending 
mountains and hills ; but in Ezek. 20 : 29, it 
is ^ven as the proper name of a place ; 
while in other passages it is usually and 
correctly translated "high place." The 
Hebrews, hke most other ancient nations, 
frequently offered sacrifices upon "high 
places," notwithstanding the prohibition in 
Deut. 12, both to Jehovah and to idols, 1 
Sam. 9 : 12-14 ; 1 Kings 3 : 2, 4 ; 2 Kings 12 : 
3 ; 1 ' Chron. 16 : 39 ; and erected chapels 
thereon, and had ministers of the sacred 
rites. 1 Kings 12 : 32 ; 13 : 32 ; 2 Kings 17 : 
29, 32. Even Solomon, after the erection 
of the temple, and other kings, till the 
time of Josiah, frequently sacrificed on 
hills and mountains. 1 Kings 11 : 7 ; 2 
Kings 14 : 4 ; 15 : 4, 35 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 33 ; Ezek. 
6:3; Lev. 26 : 30. Probably the massive 
circular ruins on the summits of Hermon 
are the remains of such places of ancient 
idolatrous worship, 2 Kings 23 : 7 ; Ezek. 
16 : 16 ; Amos 5 : 8. 

High Priest. The head of the Jewish 

griesthood. Lev. 21 : 10. Aaron was the 
rst to hold the office, Ex. 28 : 1, and his 
descendants filled it after him. Eleazar was 
his immediate successor, Num. 3 : 32 ; 20 : 
28 ; Deut. 10 : 6, and the priesthood re- 
mained in his family till Eli, 1 Chron. 24 : 3, 

6, who was of the house of Ithamar. The 
office of the high priest was originally held 
for Ufe. This rule was disregarded by Sol- 
omon, who appointed Zadok and deposed 
Abiathar, 1 Kings 2 : 35, because he had es- 
poused the cause of Adonijah. 1 Kings 1 : 

7, 25. In the years succeeding the close of 
the canon the office became a tool in the 
hands of the rulers of the land. Herod 
particularly and his successors disregarded 
the tradition of the Jews on this point. 
This people, who held the office so sacred, 
now often begged their rulers to remove 
the incumbents, who were parasites of the 
throne. Herod appointed no less than five 
high priests himself, and one of them, Si- 
mon, as the price of his daughter in mar- 
riage. We consequently read in the New 
Testament of several high priests living at 
the same time, and Annas and Caiaphas 
are particularly mentioned. Luke 3 : 2. The 
services of consecration were prolonged, 
lasting seven days, Ex. 29 : 35, and elabo- 
rate. They consisted of sacrifices, Ex. 29 ; 
of anointing with oil, Ex. 29 : 7 ; 30 : 22-33 ; 
Lev. 21 : 10, and of putting on of garments. 
Ex. 29 : 5, 6, 8, 9. The dress of the high 
priest was much more costly and magnifi- 
cent than that of the inferior order of 



priests. It is described Ex. 39 : 1-9. The 
high priest's most solemn, pecuUar, and ex- 
clusive duty was to officiate in the most 
holy place on the great day of atonement. 
Heb. 9 : 7, 25, See Atonement, Day of. 
In Lev, 16 we have a fuU account of this 
most interesting service and the imposing 
ceremonies which preceded it. The high 
j)riest might at any time perform the du- 
ties assigned to the ordinary priests. He 
was in general the overseer of the temple, 
2 Kings 12 : 10, and at the time of our 
Lord presided over the Sanhedrin. Acts 5 : 
17 ; John 18 : 13, 14, etc. Jesus is the great 
High Priest who once for all sprinkled with 
his own blood the threshold of the holy of 
holies (heaven), where he ever Uveth to 
make intercession for us. Heb. 4 : 14 ; 7 : 
25; 9:12, etc. 

Hinnom {hln'nom), perhaps lamentation. 
The valley of the son or sons of Hinnom, 
or, more concisely, the valley of Hinnom, 
the boundary between Judah and Benja- 
min. Josh. 15 : 8 ; 18 : 16. It was the place 
where children were made " to pass through 
the fire to Molech," and was defiled by Jo- 
siah, in order to extinguish forever such 
detestable rites. 2 Kings 23 : 10 ; 2 Chron. 
28 : 3 ; 33 : 6 • Jer. 7 : 31, 32 ; 19 : 2, 6 ; 32 : 35, 
It is mentioned after the captivity again as 
the frontier of Judah and Benjamin. Neh. 
11 : 30. From the fires of Moloch and from 
the defilement of the valley, comp. Isa. 30 : 
33 ; 66 : 24, if not from the supposed ever- 
burning funeral fires, the later Jews apphed 
the name of the valley (in the Septuagint 
Geenna), to the place of eternal suffering 
for lost angels and men ; and in this sense 
it is used in the New Testament. Matt. 5 : 
22, 29, 30 ; 10 : 28 ; Mark 9 : 43, 45, 47 ; Luke 
12 : 5 ; Jas. 3 : 6. 

Hii-am (hi' ram), noble. 1. A distinguished 
king of Tyre. He was contemporary with 
David and Solomon, and on terms of polit- 
ical and personal friendship with them. 
Under his reign the city of Tyre became 
celebrated for its wealth and magnificence, 
and the vast supphes he furnished to the 
kings of Israel show the greatness of his 
resources. He aided David with materials 
for a palace, 2 Sam. 5 : 11 ; 1 Chron. 14 : 1, 
and Solomon in the construction of the 
temple, 1 Kings 5 : 1-12 ; 9 : 11-14, furnishing 
workmen as well as materials. He also al- 
lowed Solomon to send ships with the Tyr- 
ian ships under Tyrian management. 1 
Kings 9 : 26-28 ; 10 : 11-28. 2. An eminent 
artificer of Tyre who was employed by Sol- 
omon on some of the most difficult of the 
fixtures and furniture of the temple, 1 
Kings 7 : 13, 

Hittites (hWtites), The tribe or nation 
descended from Heth, the son of Canaan. 
Gen. 10 : 15 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 13. They were in- 
habitants of Canaan in the time of Abra- 
ham. Gen. 15 : 20. They then occupied 
the southern part of the land, as Hebron, 
Gen. 23 : 3-18, extending towards Beer- 
sheba; since Esau married Hittite wives, 
and Isaac and Rebekah feared that Jacob 
might follow his example. Gen. 26 : 34 ; 27 : 
46 ; 28 : 9. Hittites evidently, therefore, 
were in the neighborhood ; they were sub- 

107 



mVITES 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



HOREii 



sequently in the mountainous region near 
the Amorites and Jebusites, Num. 13 : 29 ; 
Josh. 11 : 3 ; and were perhaps some of the 
original inhabitants of Jerusalem, Ezek. 
16 : 3, 45, as well as in the neighborhood of 
Bethel. Judg. 1 : 22-26. Indeed, they had 
spread so extensively, that Canaan, or at 
least the northern part of it, was called the 
"land of the Hittites." Josh. 1:4. Some 
suppose them to have been a commercial 
people. Gen. 23 : 16. In subsequent times 
we find two of David's warriors Hittites, 
Ahimelech, 1 Sam. 26 : 6, and Uriah, 2 Sam. 
11 : 3. Solomon rendered those that yet re- 
mained in Palestine tributary, 1 Kings 9 : 
20 ; and they are mentioned after the cap- 
tivitj'. Ezra 9 : 1. But there are some re- 
markable notices of Hittites, Judg. 1 : 26 ; 1 
Kings 10: 29; 2 Kings 7:6; 2 Chron. 1:17, 
which point to a people, a branch of the 
great family, or the descendants of those 
expelled from Palestine, who were settled 
independently beyond Lebanon, and it 
may be on the southeastern frontier towards 
Arabia. And Egyptian annals speak of a 
war with Hittites ; and Egyptian picttires 
are beheved to represent Hittites. These 
representations may be taken not unfairly 
to figure the old Hittites of Canaan. We 
are learning much of the Hittites from re- 
cent explorations, but their inscriptions 
lately discovered have not been certainly 
deciphered nor their records indisputably 
determined. 

Hivites, Liand of the (hl'vltes). A re- 
gion in Canaan, along the coast of the 
Mediterranean, peopled by some of the de- 
scendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. 
Gen. 10 : 17 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 15. On Jacob's re- 
tvmi to Canaan, Shechem was in posses- 
sion of the Hivites, Hamor the Hivite being 
the "prince of the land." Gen. 34:2. They 
voluntarily surrendered their country to 
Joshua. Josh. 9:7; 11 : 19. The main body 
of the Hivites were then living on the 
northern confines of western Palestine — 
"under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh," 
Josh. 11:3; "in Mount Lebanon, from 
Mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in 
of Hamath." Judg. 3 : 3. They paid trib- 
ute to Solomon. 1 Kings 9 : 20 ; 2 Chron. 8 : 
7. Their country appeare to have been 
afterward absorbed by the surrounding na- 
tions. 
Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. The Holy 
,^ Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third Person of 
^ the Holv Trinity, of one. essence or nature 
with the Father and the Son, yet distinct 
from them. He apphes the work of re- 
demption to us, and makes us partakers 
of all the benefits of Christ, of his right- 
eousness, hfe, and death. He is an Advo- 
cate, who pleads our cause, who strength- 
ens and comforts us and prepares us for 
glory in heaven. Matt. 1 : 18, 20 ; 28 : 19 ; 
John 1 : 33 : 14 : 26 ; 16 : 7, 8 ; 20 : 22 ; Acts 2 : 
4 ; Rom. 5 : 5 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 14 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 8. 
Our A. V. uses, in most passages, the term 
Holy Ghost; but in four passages, Holy 
Spirit, which is better ; see the R. V. See 
God. 

Honey. Canaan is described as a land 
"flowing with milk and honey." Ex. 3: 

108 



8, 17 ; 13 : 5 ; Ps. 19 : 10 ; 81 : 16. And trav- 
ellers now speak of the immense swarms 
of bees found in some rocky parts of the 
country. Deut. 32:13. With this "wild 
honey" John Baptist was fed. Matt. 8 : 4. 
There was a kind of honey-syrup obtained 
from dates. 2 Chron. 31 : 5. Honey was 
forbidden as an offering. Lev. 2 : 11. It is 
often joined with milk, both being natin-al 
products ; and " honey and milk " are some- 
times figuratively put for pleasant discourse. 
Song of Sol. 4 : 11. Honey was sometimes 
made from the juice of grapes boiled down 
to the half or third part. This, called dibs, 
is still prepared in many parts of Sjria and 
Palestine, especially in the neighborhood 
of Hebron, and is in great quantities ex- 
ported into Egypt. 

Hor (hor), mountain, Mount. 1. The 
mountain on which Aaron died. Num. 20 : 
25-27 ; 33 : 37. It was on the ' ' boundary Une, ' ' 
or " at the edge " of the land of Edom. It 
was the halting-place of the people next 
after Kadesh, Num. 20 : 22 ; 33 : 37, and.they 
quitted it for Zalmonah, Nrun. 33 : 41, in the 
road to the Red sea. Num. 21 : 4. It was 
during the encampment at Kadesh that 
Aaron died. Mount Hor is on the eastern 
side of the great valley of the Arabah, the 
highest and most conspicuous of the whole 
range of the sandstone mountains of Edom, 
having close beneath it on its eastern side 
the strange citj- of Petra. It is now called 
Jebel Nebi-Harun, " the mountain of the 
prophet Aaron." Its height is 4800 feet 
above the Mediterranean ; or about 1700 
feet above the town of Petra, and more than 
6000 above the Dead sea. The mountain is 
marked far and near by its double top, 
which rises like a huge castellated build- 
ing from a lower base and is now sur- 
mounted hj a circular dome of the tomb of 
Aaron, a distinct white spot on the dark 
red surface of the mountain. The chief 
interest of Mount Hor consists in the pros- 
pect from its summit, the last view- of 
Aaron— that view which was to him what 
Pisgah was to Moses. 2. A mountain, 
distinct from the preceding, named in 
Num. 34 : 7, 8, only, as one of the marks 
of the northern boundary of the land 
which the children of Israel were to con- 
quer. This Mount Hor is the great chain 
of Lebanon itself. 

Horeb (ho'veh), dry, desert. A mountain 
or range frequently mentioned in Scripture. 
The special application of Horeb and Sinai 
in the Old Testament has been much dis- 
cussed. Robinson and Hengstenberg think 
that Horeb is the name for thie whole range 
— Sinai for a particular peak ; Gesenius and 
others hold precisely the opposite view. 
Stanley suggests that there is more a dis- 
tinction of usage than of place. 1. In Le- 
\dticus and Ninnbers Sinai is exclusively 
used of the scene of the gi\'ing of the Law. 
2. In Deuteronomy Horeb is substituted 
for Sinai. 3. In the Psalms the two are used 
indifferentlv. See Sinai and Palestine, p. 
31. The mountain of Sinai and its wilder- 
ness are distinguished as the theatre of 
events that took place in the district of 
Horeb, and the whole of Horeb is called 



HORN 



OP THE BIBLE. 



HOUR 



"the mountain of God." Ex. 3:1, 12; 4: 

27 ; 17 : 6 ; 18 : 5 ; 33 : 6. Hence, sometimes 
"Sinai" alone is spoken of. Ex. 19 : 11, 20 
23 ; 24 : 16 ; 31 : 18 ; 34 : 29, 32 ; Lev. 7 : 38 
25:1; 26:46; 27:34; Num. 1:1; 3:1,14 
33:15. But frequently "Horeb" alone is 
named, and the same events are spoken of 
as occurring on Horeb which are described 
as taking place on Sinai. Deut. 1 : 2, 6, 19 ; 
4:10, 15; 5:2; 9:8; 18:16; 29:1. Later 
sacred writers employ both names : e. g., 
" Horeb," 1 Kings 8:9; 19 : 8 ; 2 Chron. 5 : 
10; Ps. 106:19; Mai. 4:4; "Sinai," Judg. 
5 : 5 ; Ps. 68 : 8, 17. 

Horn. The word "horn" is often used 
to signify power and honor. Of strength, 
the horn of the unicorn, R. V. " wild ox," 
was the most frequent representative. Deut. 
33 : 17, etc., but not always ; comp. 1 Kings 
22 : 11, where probably horns of iron, worn 
defiantly and symbolically on the head, 
are intended. Among the Druses upon 
Mount Lebanon the married women wear 
silver horns on their heads. In the sense 
of honor, as "my horn," Job 16 : 15 ; "all 
the horn of Israel," Lam. 2 : 3— and hence 
for the supreme authority. It also stands 
for honor or power, whence it comes to 
mean king, kingdom. Dan. 8 : 3, etc. ; 
Zech. 1 : 18. It was also a symbol of vic- 
tory. 1 Kings 22 : 11 ; Rev. 5 : 6. 

Hornet. The hornet resembles the com- 
mon wasp, only it is larger. It is exceed- 
ingly fierce and voracious, especially in hot 
climates, and its sting is frequently danger- 
ous. In Scripture the hornet is referred to 
only as the means which Jehovah em- 
ployed for the extirpation of the Canaan- 
ites. Ex. 23 : 28 ; Deut. 7 : 20 ; Josh. 24 : 12. 

Horse. This most valuable animal was 
first domesticated in the East, and was 
probably brought by those who emigrated 
westward from Asia into Arabia and Egypt. 
No mention is made of horses as forming 
any part of the possessions of the patri- 
archs ; nor are any noticed among the 
presents Abraham received from the kings 
of Egypt and Gerar. Gen. 12 : 16 ; 20 : 14. 
The horse was probably not in those early 
times used except for military purposes ; 
indeed we find scarcely an allusion in 
Scripture to its employment for the farm 
or any ordinary domestic service. Once 
the horse is said to tread out some species 
of corn, Isa. 28 : 28 ; but it is a war-horse, 
strong and fierce, that is poetically de- 
scribed in Job 39 : 19-25. 

Hot s e -le e clx , the adherer. A well- 
known kind of worm very common in all 
the stagnant waters of Palestine. Prov. 
30 : 15. It fastens itself within the nostrils 
or mouths of animals as they drink, and 
will suffer itself to be nearly torn in two 
before relaxing its hold. Its thirst for blood 
— never satisfied till its body is completely 
filled — may illustrate the insatiable cravings 
of lust, avarice, and cruelty. 

Hosanna, save, we beseech ! The excla- 
mation with which Christ was greeted .at 
his last entry into Jerusalem. Matt. 21 : 9. 
It is a Hebrew phrase, known in earUer 
times and taken from Ps. 118 : 25, which was 
recited as a part of the Great Hallel, Ps. 113- 



118, at the feast of tabernacles, and which 
was therefore famiUar to the Jews. 

Hosea {lio-ze'ah),_ salvation. Son of Beeri, 
and one of the minor prophets. His pro- 
phetic career extended from b. c. 784 to 725, 
a period of 59 years. The prophecies of Ho- 
sea were dehvered in the kingdom of Israel. 
Jeroboam II. was ruler, and Israel was at 
the height of its splendor. Nothing is kno w n 
of the prophet's hfe excepting what may 
be gained from his book. 

Hosea, Book of. Consists of 14 chap- 
ters. It is easy to recognize two great divi- 
sions in the book : 1, chap. 1 to 3 ; 2, chap. 
4 to end. The prophecies were probably 
collected by Hosea himself toward the end 
of his career. Of his style Eichhorn says : 
" His discourse is hke a garland woven of 
a multiphcity of flowers ; images are woven 
upon images, metaphor strung upon meta- 
phor. Like a bee, he flies from one flower- 
bed to another, that he may suck his honey 
from the most varied pieces. . . . Often he 
is prone to approach to allegory ; often he 
sinks down in obscurity." His prophecies 
are frequently referred to in the New Tes- 
tament. Matt. 9 : 13 ; 12 : 7 ; Luke 23 : 30, 
etc. 

Ho she a (ho-she'ah), salvation. 1. The 
19th, last and best king of Israel. He suc- 
ceeded Pekah, whom he slew in a success- 
ful conspiracy, thereby fulfilUng a prophecy 
of Isaiah. Isa. 7 : 16. In the third year of 
his reign (b. c. 726) Shalmaneser cruelly 
stormed the strong caves of Beth-arbel, 
Hos. 10 : 14, and made Israel tributary, 2 
Kings 17 : 3, for three years. At the end of 
this period Hoshea entered into a secret 
alhance with So, king of Egypt, to throw 
off the Assyrian yoke. The alliance did 
him no good ; it was revealed to the court 
of Nineveh by the Assyrian party in Ephra- 
im, and Hoshea was immediately seized 
as a rebelhous vassal, shut up in prison, 
and apparently treated with the utmost 
indignity. Micah 5 : 1. Nothing is known 
of Hoshea after this event. 2. The son of 
Nun, i. e., Joshua, Deut. 32 : 44 ; and also in 
Num. 13 : 8, R. V., though there the A. V. has 
Oshea. 3. Son of Azaziah, 1 Chron. 27 : 20 ; 
hke his great namesake, a man of Ephraim, 
ruler of his tribe in the time of king David. 
(b. c. 1019.) 4. One of the heads of the peo- 
ple who sealed the covenant with Nehe- 
miah. Neh. 10 : 23. (b. c. 410.) 

Hour. The twenty-fourth part of the 
day. Such a mode of dividing tirne was 
not originally employed among the He- 
brews. And, when the word "hour" first 
occurs, it is used loosely and indefinitely, 
Dan. 3 : 6, 15 ; 4 : 33 ; 5 : 5 ; as it is frequently 
in the New Testament, Mark 13 : 32 ; John 
2:4; and as very commonly among our- 
selves. At a very early period the Egyptians 
divided the day into twelve hours ; and 
the same reckoning prevailed among the 
Babylonians, from whom the Greeks took 
it. It is likely that the Jews learned and 
adopted it at the period of the captivity. In 
our Lord's time, the day, that is, the space 
between sunrise and sunset, was commonly 
distributed into twelve hours, John 11 : 9 ; 
these, therefore, varied in length according 

109 



SOtJSfi 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



tDUM^ANS 



to the season of the year. Generally, how- 
ever, we may say that the third hour cor- 
responded with our 9 A. M., the sixth with 
our noon, the ninth with our 3 p. m., etc. 
In Acts 23 : 23 the hours of the night were 
reckoned from sunset; consequently the 
time named would nearly correspond with 
our 9 p. M. 

House. See Dwelling. 

Hushai (hu'shdi or hu'sha-l), rapid. An 
Archite, and a particular and faithful friend 
of David. 2 Sam, 16 : 16. He gained such 
influence over Absalom as to prevail with 
his advice over Ahithophel, 2 Sam. 17 : 14. 
During this time he remained David's 
friend. 

Husks. This word in Luke 15 : 16 de- 
scribes really the fruit of the carob. It be- 
longs to the locust family. This tree is 
common in Syria and Egypt; it produces 
pods, shai>ed Uke a horn, varying in length 
from six to ten inches, and about a finger's 
breadth, or rather more ; it is dark brown, 
glossy, filled with seeds, and has a sweetish 
taste. It is used much for food by the poor, 
and for the feeding of swine. 

Hyssop. Ex. 12 : 22. A plant often used 
in the ceremonies of purification. Lev. 14 : 
4, 6, 51 ; Ps. 51 : 7. One of its characteristics 
is referred to in 1 Kings 4 : 33. It is associ- 
ated with our Saviour's last hours. John 19 : 
29. More than twenty different plants have 
been urged as the species intended. Tris- 
tram and other recent authorities favor the 
caper-bush. Dr. Post, of Syria, argues very 
conclusively in favor of a species of mar- 
• joram. 



Iconium {l-cd'-ni-Hm). place of images (f). 
A large and rich city of Asia Minor, in tne 
province of Lycaonia. It was on the great 
Roman highway from Ephesus to Tarsus, 
Antioch, and the Euphrates, and at the 
foot of Mount Taurus, in a beautiful and 
fertile country, about 300 miles southeast 
of Constantinople and about 120 miles in- 
land from the Mediterranean. Paul visited 
it on his first and second missionary jour- 
neys. Acts 13 : 51 ; 14 : 1, 19, 21 ; 16 : 2 ; 2 
Tim. 3 : 11. It is now called Konieh, and 
has a population of about 30,000. 

Idolatry. The worship of other objects 
or beings than the one true God. Probably 
the heavenly bodies were among the earliest 
objects of idolatrous reverence. Thus the 
sun and moon, the Baal and Astarte of 
Phoenician worship, were regarded as em- 
bodying these active and passive principles 
respectively. And the idol deities of other 
nations bore similar characters. It is easy 
to see how such worship would be tainted 
by Ucentiousness Of thought, and that the 
rites of it would be immoral and obscene. 
Unnatural lusts would be indulged, till the 
frightful picture drawn by the apostle Paul 
of heathenism was abundantly reahzed 
among even the most refined nations of 
antiquity. Eom. 1 : 18-32. It was in order 
to guard the IsraeUtes against such abom- 
inable things that many of the enact- 
ments of the Mosaic law were directed. 

110 



Deut. 22 : 5. The ancient Hebrews had no 
fixed form of idolatry ; but they frequently 
imitated the superstitions of other nations. 
Gen. 31 : 30 ; Josh. 24 : 23 ; Judg. 2 : 11, 12 ; 
8 : 27 ; 17 : 5 ; 18 : 30, 31. Solomon, seduced 
by his strange wives, caused temples to be 
erected in honor of their gods, and himself 
impiously offered incense to them. 1 
Kings 11 : 5-7. Under the reign of Ahab, 
idolatry reached its greatest height ; and 
the impious Jezebel endeavored to destroy 
the worship of Jehovah. Even the sacrifice 
of cliildren, forbidden as it was under the 
most severe and summary penalties, became 
common. Lev. 20 : 2 ; Jer. 7 : 31 ; Ezek. 
16 : 21. The severe chastisement of the cap- 
tivity in a great measure uprooted Hebrew 
idolatry. Perhaps those who went into 
Egypt were the worst class of the Jews. Jer. 
44 : 15-30. Yet even there idolatry did not 
last among them. And, though after the 
return there was much lukewarmness 
shown, and alhances were made afresh 
with ungodly nations, and false prophets 
appeared, Ezra 9:1,2; Neh. 6 : 14, yet so 
far as we can judge by the national cove- 
nant, Neh. 10, and the general tone of the 
post-exilian prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, 
and Malachi, idolatry ceased to flourish. 
In the New Testament the Christians, who 
were continually brought into contact with 
idolaters through the extent of the Roman 
empire, were cautioned as to their behavior. 
Not only were they to abhor idol-worship 
itself, but they were also to abstain from 
meats which had been offered to idols. Acts 
15 : 29. It was true that the meat itself was 
not thereby defiled, for an idol was noth- 
ing; and therefore Christians need not be 
too particular in inquiring into the history 
of what was set before them But, if any 
one apprised them that it had been so 
presented, they were not to eat, lest an 
occasion of offfence should be given to a 
weak brother or to a censorious heathen. 1 
Cor. 8:4-13; 10:25-32. 

Idumaeans, or Edomites {Id'u-me'anz, 
or e'dom-ltes). The inhabitants of Idumaea 
or Edom, descendants of Esau, Gen. 36 : 1, 
8, and dwellers in the clefts of the rocks in 
the Sinaitic peninsula. Jer. 49 : 16. Petra, 
called " Selah " or " Joktheel," their strong- 
hold in Amaziah's day, 2 Kings 14 : 7, and 
chief city, was literally cut in the rocks, 
and the southern part of the country 
abounds in cave-dwellings. They had 
kings long before the Hebrews. Gen. 36 : 31. 
Though they were of the same primitive 
parentage as the Hebrews, they were by no 
means friendly to them. They perpetuated 
the enmity between Esau andJacob. They 
opposed their passage through their country 
when Israel came from the wilderness. 
Num. 20 : 20, 21. But finally they allowed 
a passage through their eastern border, ac- 
cepting also Israel's offer to pay for provis- 
ions. Deut. 2 : 28, 29. The Edomites were 
conquered by Saul in the early part of his 
reign, 1 Sam. 14 : 47, and by David hkewise, 
2 Sam. 8 : 14 ; but at the instigation of 
Hadad they revolted against Solomon. 1 
Kings 11 : 14. Edom was for a long time a 
vassal of the kingdom of Judah, but again 



ILLYRICUM 



OP fSE BIBia. 



iiioi^ 



revolted, and after a struggle got its inde- 
pendence in the reign of Jehoram. 2 Kings 
8 : 20-22. The later kings attacked and 
were attacked by the Edomites. The proph- 
ets foretold the desolation of the descend- 
ants of Esau and their country. Jer, 49 : 17, 
18 ; O badi'al i 8. Thirty ruined towns within 
three days' journey from the Red sea attest 
their former greatness and their present 
desolation. 

lUyricum {il-llr'i-Mm). A Roman prov- 
ince of southeastern Europe, lying along 
the eastern coast of the Adriatic, from the 
boundary of Italy on the north to Epirus 
on the south, and contiguous to Moesia and 
Macedonia on the east. On account of the 
insurrection of the Dalmatians, b. c. 11. the 
province was divided, and the northern 
portion called Dalmatia : the southern por- 
tion remained one of the Senate's prov- 
inces. Paul preached round about unto 
Illyricum. Rom. 15 : 19. 

Immanuel {im-mdn'u-el), God vdth us. 
The name given to the child whose birth 
the prophet Isaiah was authorized to an- 
nounce to Ahaz when the confederacy was 
formed by Israel and Syria against Judah. 
Isa. 7 : 1-16. This passage has been cited 
by Matthew, and specially applied to the 
birth of Christ, Matt. 1 : 22, 23, who is rightly 
regarded as "God with us" and as ever 
present in his church and with his people 
through the ages of the world. Matt. 28 : 
20. 

Incense. The sacred perfume oflFered 
to God by burning on the incense altar. 
The gums which composed it are, men- 
tioned in Ex. 30 : 34-38, including salt, for v. 
35 reads, " seasoned with salt " in the R. V. 
Incense was to be burnt on the altar made 
for the purpose twice a day, in the morn- 
ing when the lamps were dressed, and also 
when they were lighted in the evening. 
It might seem as if this work were re- 
stricted to the high priest, Ex. 30 : 7, 8 ; but 
certainly the ordinary priests are found 
burning incense, Lev. 10:1; and, in later 
times at least, those who so officiated were 
chosen by lot, Luke 1:8, 9 ; the people 
being of course without, v. 10, and prob- 
ably praying in silence : comp. Rev. 8:1,3. 
There was another solemn burning of in- 
cense — and this was the high priest's pecu- 
har office— on the great day of atonement. 
Lev. 16 : 13. Jewish writers have said that 
the incense was to counteract the unpleas- 
ant smell which might arise from the car- 
cases of victims. But it had a higher pur- 
IX)se. The psalmist, Ps. 141 : 2, indicates 
this/ his words implying that prayer was 
in reaUty what incense was in symbol. 

Ink, Inkhorn. Jer. 36 : 18 ; Ezek. 9 : 2. 
Il is supposed that the common ink of 
early ages was made of water and pulver- 
ized charcoal, or the black of burnt ivory, 
with the addition of some kind of gum. 
Other substances were doubtless used both 
for writing and coloring matter. The Ro- 
mans used a dark purple liquid, which was 
obtained from a species of fish, for this pur- 

Eose. The ink in common use at this day 
as been known for several centuries in 
Europe, and is usually made of nutgalls, 



vitriol, and gum. Ancient ink was more 
caustic, and less Uable to fade or decay. 
Chinese ink is of the same quaUty. The 
professed writers or scribes carried with 
them, as they do at the present day in 
eastern countries, writing instruments, and 
among them was an inkhorn, thrust into 
the girdle at the side. 

Inn. In the Bible the " inn " was not a 
hotel in our sense. The word so translated 
means either a " lodging - place for the 
night "—not necessarily a covered place, but 
a mere station of caravans, where water 
could be obtained ; such was the " inn," 
R. V. " lodging - place," at which Joseph's 
brethren stopped, and where Moses was 
met by the Lord, Gen. 42 : 27 ; Ex. 4 : 24— or 
else a khan or caravanserai, which was, 
and is, a large square building enclosing 
an open court, in whose centre is a foun- 
tain ; the building contains a number of 
rooms. There is no provision for meals or 
feed for the animals ; the travellers carry 
such necessaries with them. These cara- 
vanserais are often built by benevolent per- 
sons. Jer. 9 : 2. Another kind of " inn " is 
that mentioned in the parable of the Good 
Samaritan. Luke 10 : 34. This had a host, 
who was probably paid to attend to the 
wants of travellers. And it was in one of 
the stables of a mere caravanserai provided 
for the horses of travellers that our Lord 
was born. In modern Syria, in villages 
where there is no khan, there is a house 
for the entertainment of travellers, with a 
man appointed to look after it : for its ac- 
commodations, meagre as they are, pay- 
ment is exacted, and the keeper hkewise 
gets a fee. 

Inspiration. The influence of the 
Spirit of God on the mind, such as to guard 
against error in communicating God's will. 
The prophets and apostles spake " as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1 : 
21. The divine Spirit acted upon each au- 
thor according to his individuality, and 
used him, not as a machine, but as a free 
and responsible agent. Hence the differ- 
ences of style and mode of treatment. The 
Bible is both human and divine, like the 
person of Christ, whom it reflects. There 
are various theories of inspiration, as to 
its modes and degrees ; but all Christians 
agree that in the Bible, and in the Bible 
alone, we have a full and perfectly trust- 
worthy revelation of God, and that it is 
the infallible rule of our faith and prac- 
tice. 

Iron is mentioned with brass as the 
earUest of known metals. Gen. 4 : 22. The 
natural wealth in iron of the soil of Ca- 
naan is indicated by describing it as "a 
land whose stones are iron." Deut. 8 : 9. 
The book of Job contains passages which 
indicate that iron was a metal well known. 
Sheet-iron was used for cooking utensils, 
Ezek. 4:3; cf. Lev. 7 : 9. That it was plen- 
tiful in the time of David appears from 1 
Chron, 22 : 3. The market of Tyre was sup- 
plied with bright or polished iron by the 
merchants of Dan and Javan. Ezek. 27 : 
19. Iron ore is now abundant in northern 
Palestine. 

HI 



ISAAC 



PEOPLE'S mcTionAHY 



ISH-BOSHETH 



Isaac {I'zak), laughter, sporting. The 
heir of promi s e, son of Abraham by his 
wife Sarah, born wJien his father was 100 
years old. His name, given before his birth, 
Gen. 17 : 19, was significant. Abraham had 
smiled incredulously when the promise 
was renewed to him and Sarah designated 
as the mother of the promised seed, and 
Sarah laughed derisively afterwards when 
she heard the reiterated word. Gen. 17 : 
17 ; 18 : 12. The son by his name, there- 
fore, was to warn the parents against unbe- 
lief, and expressed the joy with which they 
received at last the fulfilment of the prom- 
ise. Gen. 21 : 6. Isaac's hfe was far less 
stirring than that of his father Abraham, 
or that of his son Jacob. He was a man 
of mild contemplative character, suffering 
more than acting, easily persuaded, yet 
upon occasion firm. Isaac stands forth 
the model of that loving submission which 
those who become sons and heirs of God 
ought to pay to their heavenly parent, as 
inheritors of his father Abraham's faith. 
We best love to contemplate Isaac as bear- 
ing the wood with his father up the slopes 
of Moriah. Gentle, pious, concihating as 
he was through the rest of his days, he 
never rose higher in after Ufe ; he hardly 
fulfilled this promise of his j'outh. Yet 
Isaac was a man of faith and prayer ; and 
God was not ashamed to be called' his God. 
Heb. 11 : 16. His history conveys many in- 
structive lessons. 

Isaiah [l-za'yah or l-zd'yah), solvation of 
Jehovah. One of the great Hebrew proph- 
ets. Of his personal history veiy httle is 
known. He was the son of Ambz, Isa. 1 : 
1, whom rabbinical tradition represents as 
the brother of king Amaziah. He was 
married, ins wife being called " the proph- 
etess," Isa. 8 : 3, not because she exercised 
the prophetic gift herself, but simply be- 
cause she was married to a prophet. He 
had at least two sons, with symbohcal 
names, Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal- 
hash-baz. Isa. 7:3; 8 : 1-3. It is presumed 
that he ordinarily wore a hair-cloth gar- 
ment, Isa. 20 : 2 ; but there is no reason for 
beheving that he was an ascetic. He prob- 
ably resided at Jerusalem, where he exer- 
cised his prophetic ministry during a long 
course of years. Isaiah prophesied under 
Uzziah, receiving the di^^[ne call in the last 
year of that monarch's reign, Isa. 6 ; and 
under the succeeding kings, Jotham, Ahaz, 
and Hezekiah. Isa. 1 : 1. Whether he lived 
on into Manasseh's reign is uncertain. 
Jewish tradition asserts that he did, and 
that he was martyred by being sawn asun- 
der ; and this has been supposed to be al- 
luded to in Heb. 11 : 37. Isaiah is the evan- 
gehst among the Old Testament prophets. 
He is more frequently quoted in the New 
Testament than any other. In him the 
Messianic propheeie's reach their highest 
perfection. He draws the picture of the 
suffering and triumphing Saviour of Israel 
and the world, until at last he stands be- 
fore us in unmistakable clearness and ful- 
ness. Isaiah is also one of the greatest of 
poets. " Everything conspired to raise him 
to an elevation to which no prophet, either 

112 



before or after, could as writer attain. 
Among the other prophets each of the more 
important ones is distinguished by some 
one particular excellence and some one 
peculiar talent ; in Isaiah aU kinds of tal- 
ent and all beauties of prophetic discourse 
meet together, so as mutually to temper 
and qualify each other; it is not so much 
any single feature that distinguishes him 
as the symmetry and perfection as a whole. 
. . . In the sentiment he expresses, in the 
topics of his discourses and in the manner, 
Isaiah uniformly reveals himself as the 
king prophet." — Ewald. 

Isaiah, Book of. Isaiah is divided into 
two parts. The first, comprising the first 
39 chapters, is composed of a variety of in- 
dividual prophecies against nations and 
denunciations of sin. Social vices, chap. 3, 
and idolatry, chap. 8, are rebuked without 
mercv. Assvria, Babvlon, 13 : 19 sq., Moab, 
15 ; Ethiopia, 18 ; Egypt, 19 ; and Tyre, 23, 
pass successively before the prophet's mind, 
and their doom is predicted. The prophe- 
cies of Babylon's desolation and of Tyre's 
ruin are among the most i)oetic and" the 
subUmest passages in all hterature. Chaps. 
36-39 are concerned with Sennacherib's in- 
vasion and episodes in the life of Hezekiah. 
The second part of Isaiah begins abruptly 
with the fortieth chapter: "Comfort ye, 
comfort ye my people." It takes its position 
at the close of the Babylonian captivitj', 
and prophesies its close'and the glories of 
the Messianic period of Israel's history. Of 
all the prophetic writings, none are more 
evidently inspired and truly evangeUcal 
than these last 27 chapters. Isaiah prophe- 
sies of the ]SIessiah with distinctness and 
in a way that his predecessors had not 
done. We find prophecies of his birth, 7 : 
14 ; 9 : 6, of his Davidic descent, 11 : 1, 2, 
etc. But the fullest as well as the most 
distinct of the predictions is contained in 
the fifty-third chapter. It may be called 
the gospel of the Old Testament, on ac- 
count of the graphic and faithful picture 
it gives of the Messiah, as the "Man of 
sorrows," suffering in the stead of mankind. 
This chapter of itself will stand always as 
an evidence of prime importance for the 
divine mission of Christ. " The authen- 
ticity of the second part of Isaiah, from 
chaps. 40-66," saj's Schaff", "has been as- 
sailed by modem critics, who regard it as 
a later production of some ' great unknown 
prophet ' at the end of the Babylonian ex- 
ile. But it is characteristic of prophetic 
vision to look into the far future as if it 
were present ; and it makes not much dif- 
ference for the divine character of the 
prophecy whether it was uttered 500 or 700 
yeare before its fulfilment. The descrip- 
tion of the servant of God who suffers and 
dies for the sins of the people in chap. 53 
apphes to no other person in history, with 
any degree of propriety, but to Jesus Christ." 

i'sh-hosheth {ish'bo'sheth or Uh'bo-sheth), 
man of shame. Son and successor of Saul, 
who was persuaded by Abner to go up to 
Mahanaim and assiune the government 
while David reigned at Hebron, 2 Sam. 2 : 
8, 11 ; and all Israel except Judah acknowl- 



ISHI 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ISRAEL 



edged him as king. A severe battle soon 
after occurred at Gibeon, between the army 
of David, under Joab, and the army of Ish- 
bosheth, under Abner, in which the latter 
was utterly defeated. Abner was killed 
afterward by Joab. Ish-bosheth, thus de- 
prived of his strongest supporter, was assas- 
sinated at noonday upon his bed, after a 
brief reign of two years. 2 Sam. 4 : 5-7. 

Ishi {Ish'l or %'shl), Hos. 2 : 16, signify- 
ing my husband, and Baali {bd'al-l), in the 
same passage, signifying my Lord, are fig- 
uratively used to denote that Israel once 
played the whore in serving idols, but 
would now serve the hving God. The 
latter having been used in idol-worship, 
would become obsolete in this sense. Hos. 
2:17. 

Ishmael {ish' ma-el), whom God Iieareth. 
1. The son of Abraham by Hagar, and the 
ancestor of Arabian tribes, generally called 
" Ishmaehtes." Gen. 25 : 12-18 ; 1 Chron. 2 : 
17 ; 18 : 3. Previous to his birth Hagar was 
informed by an angel what would be the 
character of her son, and that his posterity 
would be innumerable. Gen. 16 : 11. When 
Hagar was banished to the wilderness, God 
directed her to a fountain, and renewed 
his promise to make him a great nation. 
Ishmael married an Egyptian woman, and 
dwelt in the wilderness, Gen. 16 : IS ; he 
was distinguished for lawless predatory 
habits, as his descendants have always 
been. Gen. 21 : 20, 21. So rapidly did Ish- 
mael's family multiply, that in a few years 
afterwards they are spoken of as a trading 
nation. Gen. 37 : 25 ; 39 : 1. Isaac and Ish- 
mael amicably met at the burial of their 
father. Gen. 25 : 9. Ishmael died, perhaps 
in battle, at the age of 137 years. He was 
the father of twelve sons, who gave their 
names to as many tribes, who dwelt in the 
wilderness, from Havilah unto Shur. Gen. 
17 : 20. The prophecies concerning him. 
Gen. 16 : 12 ; 17 : 20 : 21 : 13, 18, confirm the 
Bible ; being literally carried out for nearly 
4000 years to the present day. Ishmael no 
doubt became a wild man of the desert, 
the progenitor of the roaming Bedouin tribes 
of the East, so well known as robbers to 
this day that travellers through their terri- 
tory must be well armed and hire a band 
of robbers to protect them against their 
fellow-robbere. Ishmael is also the spiritual 
father of the Mohammedans, who are noth- 
ing but bastard Jews. They apply to them- 
selves the promise of a large posterity given 
to Ishmael. Gen. 21 : 13, 18. 2. A prince 
of the royal family of Judah, who mur- 
dered the governor Gedaliah, with sev- 
eral of the Hebrews and Chaldeans who 
were attached to him. He fled to the Am- 
monites. Jer. 40 : 7-16 ; 41 : 1-18. There are 
six persons of this name mentioned in the 
Scriptures. 

Israel (iz'ra-el), the prince that prevails with 
Qod. 1. The name given to Jacob after his 
wrestling with the angel at Peniel. Gen. 
32 : 28 ; Hos. 12 : 4. It became the national 
name of the twelve tribes collectively. 
They are so called in Ex. 3 : 16 and after- 
ward. It is used in a narrower sense, ex- 
cluding Judah, iu 1 Sam. 11 : 8 ; 2 Sam, 20 : 



1 ; 1 Kings 12 : 16. Thenceforth it was as- 
sumed and accepted as the name of the 
northern kingdom. After the Babylonian 
captivity, the returned exiles resumed the 
name Israel as the designation of their na- 
tion. The name Israel is also used to de- 
note laymen, as distinguished from priests, 
Levites, and other ministers. Ezra 6 : 16 ; 
9:1; 10 : 25 ; Neh. 11 : 3, etc. See Jews. 

Israel, Kingdom of. A term not infre- 
quently applied to the united kingdom be- 
fore the revolt of the ten tribes, 1 Sam. 13 : 
1, 4; 15:28; 16:1; 2 Sam. 5:12; 7:16; 1 
Kings 2 : 46 ; 4:1; but the term was also 
used to designate the country of the ten 
tribes only during the dissensions which 
followed the death of Saul After the death 
of Solomon and the revolt under Reho- 
boam, 1 Kings 12 : 20, 28, 32, it was gener- 
ally, but not uniformly, apphed to the inde- 
pendent kingdom formed by the ten tribes 
mthe north of Palestine, so that thenceforth 
the kings of the ten tribes were called 
" kings of Israel," and the descendants of 
David, who ruled over Judah and Benja- 
min, were called " kings of Judah." In the 
prophets " Judah" and " Israel" are often 
mentioned. Hos. 4 : 15 ; 5:3, 5 ; 6 : 10 ; 7 : 
1 ; 8 : 2, 3, 6, 8 ; 9 : 1, 7 ; Amos 1 : 1 ; 2 : 6 ; 3 : 
14 ; Micah 1:5; Isa. 5 : 7. The two kingdoms 
are sometimes called "the two houses of 
Israel." Isa. 8:14. The area of the king- 
dom of Israel is estimated at about 9000 
square miles, or about the same as that of 
the State of New Hampshire. The king- 
dom lasted 254 years, B. c. 975-721. The 
capitals were Shechem, 1 Kings 12 : 25, Tir- 
zah, 1 Kings 14 : 17, and Samaria, 1 Kings 
16 : 24. Jezreel was also a summer residence 
of some of its kings. Of the nineteen kings, 
not counting Tibni, not one was a godly 
man. The idolatry introduced by Jero- 
boam was continued, notwithstanding the 
partial reformations of Elijah, Ehsha, and 
other faithful prophets. The following ad- 
mirable summary of the history of the king- 
dom in four periods is condensed from 
Smith's Dictionary : 

" 1. B. a 975-929.— Jeroboam had not 
suflacient force of character in himself to 
make a lasting impression on his people. 
A king, but not a founder of a dynasty, 
he aimed at nothing beyond securing his 
present elevation. The army soon learned 
its power to dictate to the isolated monarch 
and disunited people. Baasha, in the midst 
of the army at Gibbethon, slew the son and 
successor of Jeroboam ; Zimri, a captain of 
chariots, slew the son and successor of 
Baasha; Omri, the captain of the host, 
was chosen to punish Zimri ; and after a 
civil war of four years he prevailed over 
Tibni, the choice of half the people. 

" 2. B. C. 929-SS4..— For forty-five years Is- 
rael was governed hj the house of Omri. 
That sagacious king pitched on the strong 
hill of Samaria as the site of his capital. 
The princes of his house cultivated an alli- 
ance with the kings of Judah, which was 
cemented by the marriage of Jehoram and 
Athaliah. The adoption of Baal-worship 
led to a reaction in the nation, and to the 
moral triumph of the prophets in the per- 

113 



ISSACHAR 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JABESH 



son of Elijah, and to the extinction of the 
house of Ahab, in obedience to the bidding 
of EUsha. 

" 3. ^. a 5S-i-772.— Unparalleled triumphs, 
but deeper humiliation, awaited the king- 
dom of Israel under the dj*nasty of Jehu. 
Hazael, the ablest king of Damascus, re- 
duced Jehoahaz to the condition of a vas- 
sal, and triumphed for a time over both the 
disunited Hebrew kingdoms. Almost the 
first sign of the restoration of their strength 
was a war between them, and Jehoahaz, the 
grandson of Jehu, entered Jerusalem as 
the conqueror of Amaziah. Jehoash also 
turned the tide of war against the Syrians, 
and Jeroboam II., the most powerful of all 
the kings of Israel, captured Damascus and 
recovered the whole ancient frontier from 
Hamath to the Dead sea. This short-lived 
greatness expired with the last king of 
Jehu's line. 

"4. B. a 77£-7f i.—Mihtary violence, it 
.would seem, broke off the hereditary suc- 
cession after the obscure and probably con- 
vulsed reign of Zachariah. An unsiiccess- 
ful usurper, Shallum, is followed by the 
cruel Menahem, who, being unable to make 
head against the first attack of Assyria, 
under Pul, became the agent of that mon- 
arch for the oppressive taxation of his sub- 
jects. Yet his power at home was suflBcient 
to insure for his son and successor, Peka- 
luah, a ten years' reign, cut short by a bold 
usurper, Pekah. Abandoning the northern 
and trans-Jordanic regions to the encroach- 
ing power of Assyria under Tiglath-pileser, 
he was very near subjugating Judah, with 
the help of Damascus, now the coequal 
ally of Israel. But Assyria, interposing, 
summarily put an end to the independence 
of Damascus, and perhaps was the indirect 
cause of the assassination of the baffled 
Pekah. The irresolute Hoshea, the next 
and last usurper, became tributary to his 
invader, Shalmaneser, betrayed the Assy- 
rian to the rival monarchy 'of Egypt, and 
was punished by the loss of his liberty and 
by the capture^ after a three-years' siege, 
of his strong capital Samaria. Some glean- 
ings of the ten tribes yet remained m the 
land after so many years of religious de- 
cline, moral debasement, national degra- 
dation, anarchy, bloodshed, and deporta- 
tion. Even these were gathered up by the 
conqueror and carried to Assyria, never 
again, as a distinct people, to occupy their 
portion of that goodly and pleasant land 
which their forefathers won under Joshua 
from the heathen." 

After the destruction of the kingdom of 
Israel. B. c. 721, the name -'Israel" began 
again to be applied to the whole surviving 
people. " Israel " is sometimes put for the 
true Israelites, the faithful worthy of the 
name. Ps. 73 : 1 ; Isa. 45 : 17 ; 49 : 3 ; John 
1 : 47 ; Rom. 9:6; 11 : 26. See Judah and 
Jews. 

Issachar {is'sa-kar), God hath given me 
my hire. The fifth son of Jacob and Leah. 
Gen. 30 : 18. The prophetical description 
of him uttered by his father, Gen. 49 : 14, 
15, was fulfilled in the fact that the poster- 
ity of Issachar were a laborious people and 

114 



followed rural employments, and were sub- 
ject to the tributes of 'marauding tribes. 

Issachar {Is'sa-kar), The Territory of, 
included the great plain of Esdraelon, or 
Jezreel, and lay above that of Manasseh ; 
its boundaries are given in Josh. 19 : 17-23. 
It extended from Mt. Carmel to the Jordan, 
and from Mt. Tabor to En-gamiim. Zebulun 
was on the north, Manasseh on the south, 
and Gilead on the east, across the Jordan. 
It contained sixteen noted cities and their 
villages. Among them were Megiddo, Jez- 
reel, Shunem, Beth-shan, Endor, Aphek, 
Taanach ; and Jezreel stood almost exactlv 
in the centre of the territory. This region 
was one of the richest and most fertile in 
Palestine. Many historical events of great 
interest took place within the territorj-. It 
furnished two kings to Israel— Baasha and 
Elah. 1 Kings 15 : 27 ; 16 : 6. Their portion 
of Palestine is still among the most fertile 
of the whole land. See Jezreel, Plain of, 
and Palestine. 

Ituraea (it-u-re'ah), an enclosed regicm. 
A small province on the northwestern bor- 
der of Palestine. It derived its name from 
" Jetur," a son of Ishmael. Gen. 25: 15; 1 
Chron. 1 : 31 ; 5 : 19. This district is now 
called Jedur, and is about 17 miles from 
north to south by 20 from east to west. 
Philk) was tetrarch of Itursea and of the 
region of Trachonitis. Luke 3 : L 



Jabbok {jCih1>oli), emptying. A stream 
rising about 25 miles east of the north end 
of the Dead sea, and flowing east, then 
northward and westward, and finally into 
the Jordan about midway between the Sea 
of Galilee and the Dead sea. It is now 
called the Zerka or " blue " river. Across 
this stream Jacob sent his family, and here 
his wrestling for a blessing occurred. Gen. 
32 : 22-24. The Israehtes conquered the 
kingdoms of Og and Sihon, but not the 
Ammonite country nor the upper Jabbok, 
which explains Dent. 2 : 37. Compare Num. 
21 : 24 ; Deut. 3 : 16 ; Josh. 12 : 2 ; Judg. 11 : 
13, 22. The Jabbok, before it enters the 
Jordan valley, flows through a deep, nar- 
row ravine, the hills being from loOO to 
2000 feet in height. The stream abounds 
in small fish of excellent flavor. 

Jabesh and Jab esh- Gilead (jd'besh- 
gil'e-ad), dry Gilead. A city east of the Jor- 
dan ; destroyed by the Israehtes, Judg. 21 : 
8-14; dehvered from Nahash by Saul, 1 
Sam. 1] : 1-11, and in gratitude therefor, its 
I)eople brought the bodies of Saul and his 
sons, which the Philistines hung upon the 
walls of Beth-shan, to Jabesh, and caused 
them to be bmied in a wood near bv. 1 
Sam. 31 : 11-13. David blessed them, 2 Sam. 
2 : 4-6, but afterward removed the bones to 
Saul's ancestral burving-place. 2 Sam. 2 : 
4-6 ; 21 : 12-14. Robinson identifies it with 
ed-Deir, 23 miles southeast of the Sea of 
Gahlee on the south side of Wady Yabis. 
Merrill, however, would identify Jabesh 
with the ruins of a town found about 7 
miles from Bella and about 2300 feet above 



JABIN 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JAMES 



the Jordan valley. This seems to conform 
to the BibUcal statements concerning the 
place. 

Jabin {jd'bin), whom he—i. e., God — ob- 
serves. 1. King of Hazor, a northern dis- 
trict of Canaan. Josh. 11 : 1. He and his 
allies were utterly defeated in a battle with 
Joshua at Merom, the city of Hazor was 
taken, and Jabin put to death. 2. Another 
king of the same name and place, who had 
great wealth and power, and oppressed the 
cliiidren of Israel for 20 years. Judg. 4 : 2. 
His army was defeated by Deborah and 
Barak, and Sisera, his principal general, put 
to death. 

Jabneel {jdb'ne-el or jdb'neel), Jehovah 
causes to be built. A town of Judah ; called 
also Jabneh. Josh. 15 : 11 ; 2 Chron. 26 : 6. 
Uzziah captured it from the Philistines. It 
was called by Josephus, Jamnia, and after 
the destruction of Jerusalem was for some 
time the seat of a famous Jewish school of 
learning. It is identified with Yebnah, a 
village about three miles from the Mediter- 
ranean and 12 miles south of Joppa. 

Jacinth or Hyacinth, " amber " margin 
R. V. Ex. 28 : 19. Probably the same as 
the ligure, a gem of a yellowish-red or a 
dark purple color. Rev. 9 : 17 ; called " sap- 
phire " in margin of R. V. Rev. 21 : 20. In 
the former passage there is reference merely 
to its color. 

Jacob ijd'kob), supplanter. The second 
son of Isaac and Rebekah. He was born 
with Esau probably at the well of Lahai- 
roi, about b. c. 1837. His history is related 
in the latter half of the Book of Genesis. 
He bought the birthright from his brother 
Esau, and afterward acquired the blessing 
intended for Esau by practicing a well- 
known deceit on Isaac. Gen. 25 : 21-34 ; 27 : 
1-40. Jacob, in mature years, was sent from 
the family home to avoid his brother, and 
to seek a wife among his kindred in Padan- 
aram. As he passed through Bethel, God 
appeared to him. After the lapse of 21 
years he returned from Padan-aram with 
two wives, two concubines, eleven sons 
and a daughter, and large property. He 
escaped from the angry pursuit of Laban, 
from a meeting with Esau, and from the 
vengeance of the Canaanites provoked by 
the murder of Shechem ; and in each of 
these three emergencies he was aided and 
strengthened by the interposition of God, 
and in sign of the grace won by a night 
of wrestling with God his name was 
changed at Jabbok into Israel. Deborah 
and Rachel died before he reached Hebron ; 
Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, was sold 
into Egypt eleven years before the death 
of Isaac; and Jacob had probably reached 
his 130th year when he went thither. He 
was presented to Pharaoh and dwelt for 17 
years in Rameses and Goshen, and died in 
his 147th year. His body was embalmed, 
carried with great care and pomp into the 
land of Canaan, and deposited with his fath- 
ers, and his wife Leah, in the cave of Mach- 
pelah. Gen. chs. 27 to 50. The example of 
Jacob is quoted by the first and the last of 
the minor prophets. Besides the frequent 
mention of his name in conjunction with 



the names of the other two patriarchs, 
there are distinct references to the events 
in the Ufe of Jacob in four books of the 
New Testament— John 1 : 51 ; 4 : 5, 12 ; Acts 
7 : 12-15 ; Rom. 9 : 11-13 ^ Heb. 11 : 21 ; 12 : 16. 

Jacob's Well. See Sychar. 

Jaddua {jad-du'a ovjdd'du-ah), known. 
1. Son and successor in the high priesthood 
of Jonathan or Johanan, and last of the 
high priests mentioned in the Old Testa- 
ment. R. V. Joiada. Neh, 12 : 11, 22. b. c. 
406-332. 2. One of the chief of the people 
who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. 
Neh. 10 : 21. 

Jael (jd'el), a wild goat. Wife of Heber, 
the Kenite who^lew Sisera, general of the 
Canaanitish army. While Sisera was sleep- 
ing in her tent Jael drove a large nail or 
tent-pin through his temples. Judg. 4 : 
17-23. 

Jah {jdh). Ps. 68 : 4. A form of the He- 
brew word "Jehovah." It is part of the 
compound words "Adonijah " (" God is my 
Lord") and "hallelujah" ("Praise the 
Lord "). See Jehovah. 

Jahaz {jd'hdz), place trodden down. A 
Moabitish city situated near the desert ; 
afterward reckoned to the tribe of Reuben 
and assigned to the priests. Num. 21 : 23 ; 
Deut. 2 : 32 ; Isa. 15 : 4 ; Jer. 48 : 34. It is 
also called Jahaza, Josh. 13:18, A. V. Jaha- 
zah, Josh. 21 : 36 ; Jer. 48 : 21, A, V., and Jah- 
zah, 1 Chron. 6 : 78 A. V., and Jer. 48 : 21 
R. V. At this place the Israelites gained a 
victory over Sihon and conquered the ter- 
ritory between the Arnon and the Jabbok ; 
but in later times Jahaz seems to have been 
occupied by the Moabites. 

Jair (jd'ir), whom Jehovah enlightens. 1. 
A chief warrior under Moses, descended 
from the most powerful family of Judah 
and Manasseh. He took all the country 
of Argob (the modem Lejah) on the east 
side of Jordan, and, besides, some villages 
in Gilead, which he called Havoth-jair, 
"villages of Jair." 1 Chron. 2:21-23; Num. 
32 :41 ; Deut. 3 : 14 : comp. Josh. 13 : 30. 2. 
Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel 22 
years. "He had thirty sons who rode on 
thirty ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, 
which are called Havoth-jair, which are in 
Gilead." Judg. 10 : 3-5. 3. A Benjamite, 
father of Mordecai. Esth. 2:5. 4. In 1 
Chron. 20 : 5, in the A. V., Jair occurs, but 
it is a totally different name in Hebrew, 
meaning " whom God awakens." This Jair 
was the father of Elhanan, who killed 
Lachmi, the brother of Gohath. He is 
called Jaare-oregim in 2 Sam. 21 : 19. 

Jairus (ja-Vrus), whom God enlightenis. 1. 
A ruler of a synagogue in some town near 
the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. 
Matt. 9 : 18 ; Mark 5 : 22 ; Luke 8 : 41. (a. d. 
28.) 2. Same as Jair. 3. Esth. 11:2. 

James (jdmez), same name as Jacob. 1. 
James the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve 
apostles, and elder brother of John. His 
mother's name was Salome. He was a fish- 
erman, Mark 1 : 19, when at the call of the 
Master he left all, and became a disciple. 
Matt. 10 : 2 ; Mark 3:7; Luke 6 : 14 ; Acts 
1 : 13. The name of Boanerges was given 
to him and his brother. The " sons of thun- 

115 



JAMES, EPISTLE OF 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JEHOIACHIN 



der" had a burning and impetuous spirit, 
which nvice exhibits itself. Mark 10 : 37 ; 
Luke 9 : 54. He was one of the three who wit- 
nessed the raising' of Jairus' daughter, the 
transfiguration, and the agony of Jesus in 
Gethsemane. On the day of the ascension 
he is mentioned as persevering, with the 
rest of the apostles and disciples, in prayer. 
Acts 1 : 13. Shorily before the passover, in 
the year 44, he was put to death bv Herod 
Agrippa I. Acts 12 : 1, 2. 2. James' the son 
of Alphseus, one of the twelve apostles. 
Matt. 10 : 3. Called also James the Less. 
Mark 15 : 40 ; 16 : 1 ; Matt. 27 : 56 ; Acts 1 : 
13. Tradition says he labored in Palestine 
and Egypt. By some he is regarded as a 
cousin of Jesus. 3. James the '■ brother of 
the Lord." Gal. 1 : 19. At some time in the 
40 days that intervened between the resur- 
rection and the ascension, the Lord ap- 
peared to him. 1 Cor. 15 : 7. Ten vears 
after we find James mentioned with Peter, 
and with him deciding on the admission 
of Paul into fellowship with the church at 
Jerusalem, Acts 15 : 13 ; and from hence- 
forih we always find him equal to, and 
sometimes presiding over, the vers- chief- 
est apostles, Peter, John, and Paul. Acts 
9 : 27. This pre-eminence is evident through- 
out the after-historj- of the apostles, whether 
we read it in the Acts, in the epistles, or in 
ecclesiastical writers. Acts 12 : 17 ; 15 • 13 
19 ; 21 : IS ; GaL 2 : 9, According to tradi- 
tion, James was thrown down from the 
temple by the scribes and Pharisees ; he 
was then "stoned and his brains dashed out 
with a ftiller's club while praj-ing for his 
mm-derers. Josephus places his death in 
62 A. D., but Hegesippus in 69 a. d. 

James, the General Epistle of. The 
author of this epistle was in all probabOity 
James the "brotlier of the Lord." It was 
written from Jerusalem, probably before a. 
D. 62. Its object is to comfort the dispersed 
Jews, commending to them patience in suf- 
fering, joy in sorrow, and prayer in trouble. 
There is 'a close resemblance between the 
pastoral letter in Acts 15 : 23 and this epistle. 
Both commence with "greeting." Jas. 
1:1. 

J a p h e th (ja'pheth), enlargement. One 
of the three sons of Noah. The descend- 
ants of Japheth occupied the " isles of the 
Gentiles," E. V. " isles of the nations," Gen. 
10 : 5 — i. e., the coast lands of the Mediterra- 
nean sea in Europe and Asia Minor — 
whence they spread northward over the j 
whole continent of Europe and a consider- ; 
able portion of Asia. I 

Jason {jd'son), one u-ho uiU heal. A \ 
Thessalonian, and probably a relative of \ 
Paul, whom he entertained, and in conse- , 
quence received rough treatment at the ; 
hands of the unbeheving Jews. Acts 17 ; 
with Rom. 16 : 21. 

Jasper. The last stone in the breast- 
plate of the high priest, and the first in the 
foundations of the new Jerusalem. Ex. 
28 : 20 ; Eev. 21 : 19. Jasper is an opaque 
species of quartz, of different colors, often 
banded or spotted, and susceptible of a 
high pohsh. The dark-green Mnd is sup- 
posed to be the variety of the Bible. 

U6 



I J a V a n {jd'van), day. 1. A son of Ja- 

' pheth. Gen. 10 : 2, 4 ; Isa. 66 : 19 ; Ezek. 27 : 
13. Javan ^vas regarded as the representa- 
'■ tive of the Greek race. The name was 
probably introduced into Asia by the Phoe- 
nicians, to whom the lonians were natu- 
rally better known than any other of the 
Hellenic races, on account of their com- 
mercial activit^' and the high prosperitv of 
their towns on the western coast of Asia 
Minor. 2. A town in the southern part of 
Arabia (Yemen), whither the Phoenicians 
traded. Ezek. 27 : 19. 

Jaze*-, Josh. 21 : 39, or Jaazer {jd'zer, 

jd'a-zer or ja-a'zer). Xtun. 21 : 32, A. V., a 

city of the Ammonites, near the river Jab- 

bok. Its ruins are at Sar, about 15 miles 

from Hesban. 

Sea of. Jer. 48 : 32. May be a lake ex- 
isting in ancient times near the city of Ja- 
zer. But scholars are not agreed what 
the Sea of Jazer refers to. 

Jebns U^'-''^)^P^'^ce trodden doicn, thresh- 
ing-floor. The ancient name of Jerusalem 
among the Canaanites, Judg. 19 : 10, 11 ; 1 
Chron. 11 : 4, 5 ; probably derived from a 
descendant of Canaan the sou of Ham. 
Gen. 10 : 16. The tribe of Jebusites were 
partially subdued by Joshua, Josh. 10 : 23, 
40 ; 12 : 10 ; 15 : 63 ; and they were permitted 
to remain after the conqiiest of Jebtis, bv 
David. Ntma. 13 : 29 ; 2 Sam. 5:6-9; 24 : 1&- 
25 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 4^8 ; Ezra 9 : 1, 2. " Jebtisi " 
or " Jebusite " is sometimes put for the city 
Jebus. Josh. 15 : 8 ; 18 : 16 ; Zech. 9 : 7. 

Jedutliun (je-du'thun or jed'u-thiln], 
praising. A Levite of the family of Meran, 
probablv the same as Ethan. "Compare 1 
Chron. "l5 : 17, 19, with 1 Chron. 16 : 41, 42 ; 
25 : 1, 3, 6 ; 2 Chron. So : 15. His office was 
generally to preside over the music of the 
temple service. Jeduthun's name stands 
at the head of the 39tli, 62d, and 77th 
Psalms. 

Jehoahaz (je-hd'a-hdz), whom Jehovah 
holds. 1. Son and successor of Jehu, king 
of Israel for 17 years, b. c. 856-840. See 2 
Kings 13 : 1-9. His reign was disastrous to 
the kingdom. The kings of Syria, Hazael 
and Benhadad, oppressed and" spoiled the 
countrj-. ^Vhen his troubles multiplied he 
sought" the Lord, whom he had forsaken, 
and God ultimately raised up a deUverer in 
the person of Jehoash, his son. 2 Eongs 5 : 
25. 2. Son and successor of Josiah, king 
of Judah, 2 Kings 23 : 30 ; caUed Shallum, 
1 Chron. 3 : 15 ; Jer. 22 : 11. Though he was 
the fourth son, yet the people chose him 
king. He was an evil-doer, 2 Kings 23 : 32, 
and referred to as a yoimg lion by Ezek. 
19 : 3. He reigned only three months, b. c. 
610. Pharaoh-necho sent him a prisoner 
loaded with chains into Egj-pt, and there 
he died, Jer. 22 : 11, 12, and his brother Je- 
hoiakim became king in his stead. 2 Kings 
23 : 30, 35. 3. The same with Ahaziah and 
Azariah. Compare 2 Chron. 21 : 17 ; 22 : 1, 
6, 8, 9. 

Jehoash. (je-ho'ash), whom Jehovah be- 
stoiced. Ftall form of the name commonly 
written Joash, and applied to two kings. 
See Joash, 3 and 4. 

Jehoiachin (Je-hoi'a-Kln), whom Jehovah 



JEHOIADA 



OF THE BIBLE. JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF 



has appointed. Jeconiah, 1 Chron. 3:17; 
Coniah, Jer. 22 : 24 ; Jeconias, R. V. " Jecho- 
niah." Matt. 1:12. Son and successor of Je- 
hoiakim, king of Judah, B.C. 598. 2 Kings 24 : 
8. In his brief reign Nebuchadnezzar be- 
sieged Jerusalem and carried the king and 
royal family, the chief men of the nation, 
and great treasures, unto Babylon. 2 Kings 
24 : 6-16. Jehoiachin merited this punish- 
ment. Jer. 22 : 24-30. For 37 years he was 
a captive, but Evil-merodach liberated him 
and made him share the royal bounty and 
be head of all the captive kings in Baby- 
lon. 

Jelioiada (je-hoi'a-dah), whom Jehovah 
knows. 1. The father of Benaiah, which 
see. 2 Sam. 8 : 18 ; 1 Kings 1 : 32 ff. ; 1 Chron. 
18 : 17. This Jehoiada was the chief priest, 
1 Chron. 27 : 5, and therefore he was the 
leader of the priests who came to David at 
Hebron. 1 Chron. 12 : 27. By a copyist's 
error, Benaiah is said to have been the 
father of Jehoiada instead of the son. 1 
Chron. 27 : 34. 2. A high priest of the Jews, 
and husband of Jehosheba. 2 Kings 11 : 4. 
See Athaliali and Joasli. His administra- 
tion was so auspicious to the civil and re- 
ligious interests of the nation, 2 Kings 12 : 
2 ; 2 Chron. 23 : 16, that when he died, at 
an advanced age, he was buried in the 
royal sepulchres at Jerusalem. 2 Chron. 
24 : 16. Many do not accept the age of 132 
years assigned to him, for the reason that 
if he lived so long, then, when he married 
the daughter of Jehoram, he must have 
been 80, while Jehoram was only 32. It 
has been proposed to read "83" instead. 
3. The second priest in the reign of Zede- 
kiah. Jer. 29 : 25-29. 4. One who helped 
repair the wall. Neh. 3:6. R. V. "Joiada." 

Jelioiakim {je-hoi-a-Mm), whom Jehovah 
sets up. Called Eliakim, son of Josiah and 
king of Judah. After deposing Jehoahaz, 
Pharaoh - necho set Eliakim, his elder 
brother, upon the throne, and changed 
his name to Jehoiakim. For four years Je- 
hoiakim was subject to Egypt, when Nebu- 
chadnezzar, after a short siege, entered Je- 
rusalem, took the king prisoner, and bound 
him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. 
Jehoiakim became tributary to Nebuchad- 
nezzar, but after three years broke his oath 
of allegiance and rebelled against him. 2 
Kings 24 : 1. Nebuchadnezzar sent against 
him numerous bands of Chaldeans, with 
Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, 2 Kings 
24 : 2, and who cruelly harassed the whole 
country. Either in an engagement with 
some of these forces, or else by the hand 
of his own oppressed subjects, Jehoiakim 
came to a violent end in the eleventh year 
of his reign. His body was cast out igno- 
miniously on the ground, and then was 
dragged away and buried " with the burial 
of an ass," without pomp or lamentation, 
" beyond the gates of Jerusalem." Jer. 22 : 
18, 19 ; 36 : 30. All the accounts we have 
of Jehoiakim concur in ascribing to him a 
vicious and irreligious character. 2 Kings 
23 : 37 ; 24 : 9 ; 2 Chron. 36 : 5. The reign of 
Jehoiakim extends from b. c. 609 to B. c. 
598, or, as some reckon, 599. 

Jehonadab {je-hdn'a-ddh), or Jonadab, 

8 



whom Jehovah incites. The son of Rechab, 
the founder of the Rechabites, which see. 
He joined Jehu in the slaughter of the 
Baantes. 2 Kings 10 : 15-23. 

Jelioram {je-ho'ram), whom Jehovah has 
exalted. 1. The son and successor of Jehosh- 
aphat, king of Judah. He reigned eight 
years, three of Avhich he was associated 
with his father, though some suppose that 
he reigned eight years alone. He married 
Athahah.'the daughter of Ahab and Jeze- 
bel; and, through her influence, all the 
brothers of the king were murdered, and 
the gross idolatries of the Phoenicians were 
introduced Into the kingdom of Judah. 
The Edomites revolted, and made them- 
selves independent. The Phihstines on one 
side, and the Arabians on the other, rav- 
aged the country, and even Jerusalem and 
the royal palace. Jehoram was at length 
smitten with a malignant dysentery. He 
died miserably, and was denied the honors 
of a royal burial. He is also called Joram. 
2 Kings 8 : 16, 21, 24; 2 Chron. 21. 2. One of 
the priests. 2 Chron. 17 : 8. 3. See Joram, 

Jehosliaphat {je'hdsh'a-fCit), whom Jeho- 
vah judges. 1. King of Judah, son of Asa, 
succeeded to the throne b. c. 914, when he 
was 35 years old, and reigned 25 years. His 
history is in 1 Kings 15 : 24 ; 2 Kings 8 : 16, 
or in a continuous nan-ative in 2 Chron. 17 : 
1 to 21 : 3. He was contemporary with Ahab, 
Ahaziah, and Jehoram. He was one of the 
pious and prosperous kings of Judah. At 
first he strengthened himself against Is- 
rael, but soon afterward formed an alliance 
with Israel. Jehoshaphat tried to put down 
the high places and groves in which the 
people of Judah burned incense, and sent 
the wisest Levites through the cities and 
towns to instruct the people in religion. 
He received tribute from the Philistines 
and Arabians, and kept up a large standing 
army in Jerusalem. He became Ahab's 
ally in the great battle of Ramoth-gilead, 
for which he was severely reproved by 
Jehu. 2 Chron. 19 : 2. He built at Ezion- 
geber, with the help of Ahaziah, a navy de- 
signed to go to Tarshish; but it was 
wrecked. He was miraculously delivered 
from a threatened attack of the people of 
Ammon, Moab, and Seir. He also had war 
against the rebellious king of Moab. 2 Kings 
3. In his declining years the administra- 
tion of affairs was placed, probably b. c. 
891, in the hand of his son Jehoram. 
There are five persons of this name men- 
tioned in the Scriptures. 

Jeliosliaphat, Valley of, valley of the 
judgment of Jehovah. A place named only 
m Joel 3 : 2, 12. Three leading explana- 
tions have been given. 1. That the valley 
referred to is the same as the " valley of 
Berachah," where the forces allied against 
Israel were defeated by Jehoshaphat. 2 
Chron. 20 : 16-26. This event took place 
100 years before Joel, and may have given 
rise to this expression of the prophet. 2. 
That the valley is that of the Kedron, east 
of Jerusalem. This identification of Jehosh- 
aphat with the Kedron is now generally 
regarded as based upon a misinterpretation 
of Joel. 3. That the name does not refer 

117 



JEHOVAH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JEPHTHAH 



to any special place (see margin of R. V., 
which reads, " The Lord judgeth "), but to 
either (a) the scene of great victories, as 
those of the Maccabees; or (ft) the gen- 
eral judgment at the end of the world ; or 
(c) the truth that God's persecuted people 
he wiU defend and vindicate. 

Jehovah, (je-ho'vah), he ivill he. A title 
of the supreme Being, indicative of eternal 
and Immutable .self-existence. Ex. 6 : 3. 
It is similar to the title " I am." Ex. 3 : 14. 
In the English Bible it is usually translated 
" Lord " and printed in small capitals. It 
occurs first in the second chapter of Gen- 
esis. As distmct froia Elohim, it signifies 
the God of revelation and redemption, the 
God of the Jews, while Elohim is the God 
of natmre, the Creator and Preserver of all 
men. See Jah, God. 

Jehu ije'hu), Jehovah is He. 1. The son 
of Jehoshaphat, king over Israel. 1 Kings 
19 : 16, 17. Having been proclaimed king, 
in the presence of the whole army, he pro- 
ceeded towards Jezreel, and executed the 
predicted judgments upon the house of 
Ahab. He slew Joram, the reigning king, 
and mortally wounded Ahaziah, king of 
Judah, who was with him. 2 Kings 9 : 24. 
Jehu then entered Jezreel, and had Jezebel 
thrown out of the window of the palace, 
and her body was trodden under foot, ful- 
filhng another prophecy. Jehu then se- 
cured possession of Samaria, and slew all 
that remained unto Ahab, tiU. he had extir- 
pated him, according to the word of the 
Lord. 2 Kings 10 : 1-17. He then, at a great 
festival, exterminated all the idolatrous 
priests and prophets of Baal, as traitors to 
King Jehovah, and turned the temple of 
Baal into a draughthouse. 2 Kings 10 : 18- 
28. For his services he received a divine 
promise, that his descendants, for four gen- 
erations, should possess the throne. Jehu, 
himself, was a decisive, terrible, and ambi- 
tious man. He erred in allowing the golden 
calves at Dan and Bethel to remain. He 
reigned 28 years. 2 Kings 10 : 29-36. The 
name of Jehu occurs on the black obehsk, 
in the British Museum : " Yaua, the son of 
Khumri," i. e., Jehu, the successor of Omri, 
the founder of Samaria. 1 Kings 16 : 23, 
24. 2. A descendant of Judah. 1 Chron. 
2 : 38. 3. A descendant of Simeon. 1 Chron. 
4 : 35. 4. One of David's distinguished offi- 
cers. 1 Chron. 12 : 3. 5. The son of Hanani, 
a prophet of Samaria. 1 Kings 16 : 1-12 : 2 
Chron. 19 : 1-3. He wrote the annals of Je- 
hoshaphat. 2 Chron. 20 : 34. 

Jephthah (jeph'thah), whom God sets 
free. A judge about b. c. 1143-1137. His 
history is contained in Judg. 11 : 1 to 12 : 8. 
He was a Gileadite, the son of Gilead and 
a concubine. Driven by the other sons 
from his father's inheritance, he went to 
Tob and became the head of a marauding 
party in a debatable land, probably belong- 
ing to Ammon. 2 Sam. 10 : 6. When a war 
broke out between the children of Israel 
and the Ammonites, he signalized himself 
for courage and enterprise. This led the 
Israehtes to seek his aid as their command- 
er-in-chief ; and though he objected at first 
on the ground of their ill-usage of him, 

U8 



yet, upon their solemn covenant to regard 
htm. as their leader, in case they succeeded 
against the Ammonites, he took command 
of their army. After some prehminary ne- 
gotiations with the Ammonites, in which 
the question of the right to the country is 
discussed with great force and ingenuity, 
and finding everj'- attempt to conciliate 
them vain, the two armies met ; the Am- 
monites were defeated with great loss of 
hfe, and their countrj- scoured by the Is- 
raehtes. On the eve of the battle Jephthah 
made a vow, that if he obtained the vic- 
tory, he would devote to God whatever 
should come forth from his house to meet 
him on his return home. His daughter, an 
only ciaild, welcomed his return with mu- 
sic and dancing. Jephthah was greatly 
afflicted by this occurrence ; but his daugh- 
ter cheerfully consented to the performance 
of his vow, which took place at the expira- 
tion of two months ; and the commemora- 
tion of the event by the daughters of Is- 
rael was required by a pubhc ordinance. 
Whether Jephthah actually offered up his 
daughter as a burnt-ofl'ering is a question 
that continues to be much disputed. Those 
who maintain the negative allege, that by 
translating the Hebrew prefix or, rendered 
and in our version, all difficulty will be re- 
moved. His vow will then read, "shall 
surely be the Lord's, or, I will offer a burnt- 
offering ; " and not unfrequently the sense 
requires that the Hebrew should be thus 
rendered. Moreover, when Jephthah made 
this vow, he could not have intended to 
insult the Lord by promising a sacrifice of 
which he had expressed the utmost abhor- 
rence, Lev. 20 : 2-5 ; Deut. 12 : 31 ; especially 
as it is recorded that the Spirit of the Lord 
was upon him when he uttered his vow. 
Suppose a dog had come out of the house 
of Jephthah, can any one suppose that he 
would have offered this unclean animal as 
a burnt-offering to the Lord? And why, 
then, should we suppose that he would 
offer a human sacrifice, which would have 
been so much more abominable? It is, 
moreover, argued that no mention is made 
of any bloody sacrifice of the young wo- 
man. But merely that he did with her ac- 
cording to his vow which he had vowed ; and 
she knew no man : or, '* she had not known 
man." R. V, These last words seem to 
convey, not obscurely, the idea that Jeph- 
thah devoted his daughter to the Lord, by 
consecrating her to a hfe of ceUbacy. And 
it should not be forgotten, that in the 
Epistle to the Hebrews (ch. 11), Jephthah 
is placed among the worthies who were 
distinguished for their faith. Now can we 
suppose that such a man would be guilty 
of the crime of sacrificing his own daugh- 
ter ? Compare Heb. 11 : 32 with 2 Sam. 12 : 9 ; 
1 Kings 11 : 5, 7. Hence, against the view that 
he offered his daughter as a burnt-offering, 
the sums of the argument are : 1. Jephthah 
must have known that human sacrifices 
were contrary to God's law. 2. That, being 
under the influence of the Spirit, Judg. 11 : 
29, he would be prevented from slaying his 
child, as Abraham was. 3. The law al- 
lowed him to redeem his daughter for 3Q 



JEREMIAH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JERICHO 



shekels. Lev. 27 : 4. 4. No account of 
the bloody sacrifice is given, hut another 
disposition of her case is intimated. 5. 
Jephthah is in the list of worthies 
named in Heh. 11 for their faith. Those 
who urge the strict literal interpretation 
think these arguments inconclusive; and 
urge that Jephthah was a wild character 
in a rude period, and that there is not a 
particle of evidence that God approved his 
rash vow, or this part of his conduct. In 
the early period there are instances of per- 
sons guilty of some great sins, yet who were 
generally eminent for their piety. Jose- 
phus says : " Such an ohlation was neither 
conformable to the law, nor acceptable to 
God." His next act was one of severity in 
dealing with the Ephraimites, who were ' 
not invited to war against the Ammonites, 
hence had a battle with the Gileadites, 
and were defeated; and the latter, seizing 
the fords of the Jordan, slew every Ephraim- 
ite who attempted to escape by crossing the 
river ; and the method employed to ascer- 
tain whether they belonged to Ephraim 
was, to cause them to pronounce the word 
" shibboleth," which they sounded " sibbo- 
leth ; " for, it seems that, by this time, a dif- 
ference in the manner of pronouncing at 
least one Hebrew letter had arisen between 
the inhabitants on the different sides of 
the Jordan. On this occasion 42,000 men 
of Ephraim were slain ; which was a pun- 
ishment for commencing a war with so 
small a provocation. Judg. 11 and 12. Jeph- 
thah died after judging six years, and was 
buried among his people, the Gileadites, in 
one of their cities. Judg. 12 : 7. 

Jeremiali {jSr-e-ml'ah), whom Jehovah 
setteth up or appointeth. 1. The distingmshed 
prophet, son of Hilkiah, a priest of Ana- 
thoth. Jer. 1 : 1-6. He was called to assume 
the prophetic ofiice when a youth, and 
on that account declined it : but God prom- 
ised him grace and strength sufficient for 
his work. He prophesied under Josiah, Je- 
hoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah; and 
for some time during the exile. During 
the course of his predictions, Jerusalem 
was in a distracted and deplorable condi- 
tion, and the prophet was calumniated, 
imprisoned, and often in danger of death. 
Jeremiah expressly foretold that the cap- 
tivity would endure for 70 years ; he also 
predicted the return of the people to their 
own country. He appears to have stood 
high in the estimation of Nebuchadnezzar. 
Jer. 39 : 11-14. Towards the close of his life 
he was carried into Egypt against his "will, 
by the Jews who remained in Judea after 
the murder of Gedahah, where he probably 
died. Jeremiah is called "Jeremy," Matt. 
2 : 17 A. v., and "Jeremias," Matt. 16 : 14 A. 
V. The name Jeremy, in Matt. 27 : 9, 10, is 
probably an error of the transcribers for 
Zechariah. The R. V. reads Jeremiah in 
all these places. Canon Cook says of Jere- 
miah : " His character is most interesting. 
We find him sensitive to a most painful de- 
gree, timid, shy, hopeless, desponding, con- 
stantly complaining, and dissatisfied with 
the course of events, but never flinching 
from duty. . . , Timid in resolve, he was 



unflinching in execution ; as fearless when 
he had to face the whole world as he 
was dispirited and prone to murmuring 
when alone with God. Judged by his 
own estimate of himself, he was feeble, 
and his mission a failure ; really, in the 
hour of action and when duty called him, 
he was in very truth ' a defenced city and an 
iron pillar, and brazen walls against the 
whole land.' Jer. 1 : 18. He was a noble 
example of the triumph of the moral over 
the physical nature." There are eight per- 
sons of this name mentioned in the Scrip- 
tures. 

Jeremiah, Book of. This prophecy 
embraces a period of upwards of 40 years, 
between b. c. 628 and b. c. 586. It relates 
to the judgments that were to come upon 
the people for their gross idolatry and cor- 
ruption ; to the restoration which awaited 
them, whenever they would repent of and 
forsake their sins ; and to the glory which 
would arise on the church in future times. 
Melancholy, tender sensibility, and a tone 
of grief, are the distinguishing characteris- 
tics of Jeremiah's style. The several proph- 
ecies may be arranged thus : I. The in- 
troduction, chap. 1. II. Reproofs of the 
sins of the Jews, consisting of seven sec- 
tions—a. chap. 2, b. 3-6, c. 7-10, d. 11-13, e. 
14-17 : 18, /. 17 : 19, 20, g. 21-24. III. A gen- 
eral review of the heathen nations, and 
also of the people of Israel, consisting of 
two sections — a. 46-49, which may have 
been transposed, &. 25, and an historical 
appendix in three sections — a. 26, 6. 27, c. 
28, 29. IV. Two sections picturing the 
hopes of brighter times— a. 30, 31, b. 32, 33, 
to which is added an historical appendix 
in three sections— a. 34 : 1-7, 6. 34 : 8-22, c. 

35. V. The conclusion, in two sections — a. 

36, b. 45. Added some time afterwards — a. 
37-39, b. 40-43, c. 46 : 13-26. The fifty-second ' 
chapter of Jeremiah is nearly the same with 
2 Kings 24 : 18-25 : 30. Both were mainly 
drawn from the same sources. The order 
of the prophecies of Jeremiah, from chap. 
21 : 15 to the end of the book, is different in 
the Septuagint version from that of the 
Hebrew text ; for those prophecies which, 
in the Hebrew, occupy the last place — 46- 
51 — are found in the Greek translation after 
chap. 25 : 14, and in a different order. In 
some editions of the Septuagint the chap- 
ters are as in the Hebrew. 

Jericlio (jer'i-ko), eity_ of the moon, or 
place of fragrance. A city of Benjamin, 
situated in the valley of the Jordan, on 
the west side of that river, and north of its 
entrance into the Dead sea. Josh. 2 : 1-3 ; 
1 Kings 16 : 34. It was also called the City 
of Palm-trees. Deut. 34 : 3 ; Judg. 1 : 16. 
As Jericho was the first city that was taken, 
on the west of the Jordan, the ban was 
laid on all the property in it. Joshua 
burned the city with fire, and pronounced 
a solemn curse upon the person who, at 
any succeeding period, should build its 
walls or set up its gates. Josh. 4 : 13 ; which 
was executed upon Hiel, 533 years after- 
ward. 1 Kings 16 : 33, 34. Previous to this, 
however, the city had been rebuilt, but not 
upon its ancient foundations. Judg. 3 : 13 ; 

119 



jekoboa:^! 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JERUSALEM 



2 Sam. 10 : 5 ; 2 Kings 2 : 4, 5. The more 
ancient city was probably in the neighbor- 
hood of the beautiful fountain, -svhich is 
apparently the same whose waters Ehsha 
healed. 2 Kings 2 : 18-22. The later Jer- 
icho appears to have occupied the site of 
the miserable and filthy village, Er-Eiha, 
nearly two miles from the fountain. Ezra 
2 : 34 ; Neh. 3:2; Matt. 19 : 1 ; 20 : 29-34 ; 
Mark 10 : 1, 46, 52 ; Luke 18 : 35-43 ; 19 : 1- 
10. Riha hes almost desen ; and even that 
"one sohtary palm tree" which Dr. Rob- 
inson saw is gone. The inhabitants are a 
feeble and hcentious race. The road be- 
tween Jerusalem and Jericho still retains 
its ancient character for scenes of assault 
and robbery. Luke 10 : 30. 

Jeroboam {jtr'o-bo'am), u-hose people are 
many. There were two kings of this name : 

1. The first king of the divided kingdom 
of Israel, b. c. 975-954, was the son of Ne- 
bat. He was made by Solomon the super- 
intendent of the taxes exacted from the 
tribe of Ephraim. 1 Kings 11 : 28. He 
made the most of his position, and at last 
was perceived by Solomon to be aiming 
at the monarchy. He was leaving Jerusa- 
lem, when he was met by Ahijah the proph- 
et, who gave him the assurance that, on 
condition of obedience to his laws, God 
■would estabhsh for him a kingdom and 
dynasty equal to that of David. 1 Kings 
11 : 29-40. Solomon attempting to arrest 
Jeroboam, caused his flight into Egypt. 
There he remained until Solomon's death. 
Jeroboam married Ano, the elder sister of 
the Egyptian queen Tahpenes, and re- 
turned "to Shechem, where took place the 
conference with Rehoboam, and the final 
revolt which ended in the elevation of Jer- 
oboam to the throne of the northern king- 
dom. Fearing that the yearly pilgrimages 
to Jerusalem would undo all the work 
which he effected, he boldly decided to 
rend the religious unity of' the nation, 
which was as yet unimpaired. He caused 
two golden calves to be made and set up at 
the two extremities of his kingdom, one at 
Dan and the other at Bethel. It was while 
dedicating the altar at Bethel that a 
prophet from Judah suddenly appeared, 
who denounced the altar, and' foretold its 
desecration by Josiah. The king, stretching 
out his hand to arrest the prophet, felt it 
withered and pamlyzed, and only at the 
prophet's prayer saw' it restored, j'eroboam 
was at constant war \x\Xh. the house of Ju- 
dah, and in a battle with Abijah was de- 
feated, and soon after died in the 22d year 
of his reign, 2 Chron. 13 : 20, and was buried 
in his ancestral sepulchre. 1 Kings 14 : 20. 

2. Jeroboam 11. , the son of Joash, the fourth 
king of the djmasty of Jehu, b. c. 825-784. 
He was one of the most prosperous of the 
kings of Israel. He repelled the Syrian in- 
vaders, took their capital city Damascus, 2 
Kings 14 : 28, and recovered the whole of 
the ancient dominion from Hamath to the 
Dead sea. 2 Kings 14 : 25. Ammon and 
Moab were reconquered, and the trans- 
Jordanic tribes were restored to their terri- 
tory, 2 Kings 13 : 5 ; 1 Chron. 5 : 17-22 ; but 
it was merely an outward restoration. 

l;% 



Jemsalem {je-ru'sa-lim). The reli- 
gious and political capital of Israel ; called 
also " the Holv Citv," Xeh. 11 : 1 ; " City of 
the Great King," P's. 48 : 2 : " City of David" 
and "Zion," 1 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 14:20. 
Jewish writers held that it* was the same as 
Salem. Gen. 14 : 18 ; Ps. 76 : 2. The first 
notice of it as Jerusalem is in Josh. 10 : 1. 
It was a boundary mark between Benja- 
min and Judah. Josh. 15 : 8 ; 18 : 16, 28, 
where it is called Ha-jebusi, that is, the Je- 
busite— in A. Y. Jebusi— and in Judg. 19 : 
10, 11, "Jebus, which is Jerusalem," because 
it was then a city inhabited by Jebusites. 
Jerusalem is in latitude 31° 47'" north, and 
in longitude 35° 18' east from Green\\ich, 
or about the latitude of Savannah, Ga. It 
is 35 miles east from the Mediterranean sea, 
and 18 miles west of the north end of the 
Dead sea. It stands on four peaks of the 
mountain ridge of Western Palestine, at a 
general elevation of about 2600 feet above the 
sea. the Enghsh survey placing the height 
of Jloriah at 2440 feet. Blount Zion 2550 feet, 
Mount of Ohves 2665 feet. The hill on 
which the temple stood is 2440 feet high, 
"dropping abruptly," says Selah MemU, 
"at the northeast 'comer 100 feet, at the 
southeast comer 250 feet, at the southwest 
comer 140 feet, and on the west side about 
100 feet, while toward the north, beyond 
what afterward became the temple area, 
the ridge rose gradually about liO feet, its 
highest point being at the spot now known 
as Jeremiah's Grotto. Excluding the ex- 
tension of the ridge to Jeremiah's Grotto, 
the horizontal area thus bounded is the 
same as the present Haram Area. Zion 
was 100 feet higher than the temple mount, 
and the distance across from simamit to 
summit was less than one-third of a mile ; 
but the descent to the bottom of the ra- 
vine separating the two was 100 feet on the 
side of the temple mount, and 200 feet on 
the side of Zion. Ohvet is 90 feet higher 
than the highest point of Jerusalem, 143 
feet higher than Mount Zion, and 243 feet 
higher than the temple mount. But the 
distance from the highest point of Jerusa- 
lem to the top of Olivet is scarcely more 
than a mile. "Thus Olivet overlooks Jeru- 
salem, and from its summit the best view 
of the city is obtained." "In several re- 
spects," says Dean Stanley, "its situation is 
singular among the cities' of Palestine. Its 
elevation is remarkable ; occasioned, not 
from its being on the summit of one of the 
numerous hills of Judsea, hke most of the 
towns and villages, but because it is on the 
edge of one of the highest table-lands of 
the country. Hebron, indeed, is higher 
still by sorne hundred feet, and from the 
south, "accordingly (even from Bethlehem), 
the approach to "Jerusalem is by a slight 
descent. But from any other side the as- 
cent is perpetual ; and to the traveller ap- 
proaching the city from the east or west it 
must always have presented the appear- 
ance, beyond any other capital of the then 
known world— we may say beyond any 
important city that has ever existed on the 
earth— of a mountain city ; breathing, as 
compared with the sultry plains of Tordan, 



JERUSALEM 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JERUSALEM 



a mountain air ; enthroned, as commred 
with Jericho or Damascus, Gaza, or Tyre, 
on a mountain fastness." Sinai and Pales- 
tine, 170, 1. The elevation of Jerusalem is 
a subject of constant reference and exulta- 
tion by the Jewish writers. Their fervid 
poetry abounds with allusions to its height, 
to the ascent thither of the tribes from all 
parts of the country. It was ihe habitation 
of Jehovah, from which "He looked upon 
all the inhabitants of the world," Ps. 33 : 
14 ; its kings were " higher than the kings 
of the earth," Ps. 89 : 27. Jerusalem, if not 
actually in the centre of Palestine, was yet 
virtually so. This central position as ex- 
pressed in the words of Ezekiel 5:5, "I 
have set Jerusalem in the midst of the na- 
tions and countries round about her," led 
in later ages to a definite beUef that the 
city was actually in the centre of the earth. 

Roads.— There were 3 main approaches 
to the city : 1. From the Jordan valley by 
Jericho and the Mount of OUves. This 
was the route commonly taken from the 
north and east of the country— as from Gal- 
ilee by our Lord, Luke 17 : 11 ; 18 : 35 ; 19 : 
3, 29, 37, etc., from Damascus by Pompey, 
to Mahanaim by David. 2 Sam. 15 and 16. It 
was also the route from places in the cen- 
tral districts of the country, as Samaria. 2 
Chron. 28 : 15. The latter part of the ap- 
proach, over the Mount of Ohves, as gener- 
ally followed at the present day, is identical 
with what it was, at least in one memora- 
ble instance, in the time of Christ. 2. From 
the great maritime plain of Philistia and 
Sharon. This road led by the two Bethhorons 
up to the high ground at Gibeon, whence 
it turned south, and came to Jerusalem by 
Ramah and Gibeah, and over the ridge 
north of the city. 3. There was also the 
route from Hebron, Bethlehem, and Solo- 
mon's pools on the south. 

To the four hills, Zion, Ophel, Acra, and 
Moriah, in the ancient city may be added 
the hill of Goath, and Bezetha, the new 
town. The precise topography of the city 
has. long been in dispute, and while re- 
cent explorations have added much to 
our knowledge of the city, many points 
are yet unsettled. The western hill was 
called Mount Zion, and it is also clear that 
Zion and the city of David were identi- 
cal. " David took the castle of Zion, which 
is the city of David." "And David dwelt 
in the castle, therefore they caUed it the 
city of David. And he built the city round 
about, even from Millo round about, and 
Joab repaired the rest of the city." 2 Sam. 
5 : 7-9 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 5-8. Mount Moriah was 
the eastern hill, 2 Chron. 3 : 1, and the site 
of the temple. It was situated in the 
southwest angle of the area, now known as 
the Haram area, and was, Josephus tells us, 
an exact square of a stadium, or 600 Greek 
feet, on each side. At the northwest angle 
of the temple was the Antonia, a tower or 
fortress. North of the side of the temple is 
the building now known to Christians as 
the Mosque of Omar, but by Moslems it is 
called the Dome of the Rock. Ophel was 
the southern continuation of the eastern 
hill, which gradually came to a point at 



the junction of the valleys Tyropoeon and 
Jehoshaphat. Bezetha, " the New City," no- 
ticed by Josephus, was separated from Mo- 
riah by an artificial ditch, and overlooked 
the valley of Kidron on the east ; this hill 
was enclosed within the walls of Herod 
Agrippa. Lastly, Acra lay westward of 
Moriah and northward of Zion, and formed 
the " Ijower City " in the time of Josephus. 

Gates.— The following list of gates, named 
in the Bible and Josephus, are given by 
Smith: 1. Gate of Ephraim. 2 Chron. 25: 
23 ; Neh. 8 : 16 ; 12 : 39. This is probably the 
same as the 2. Gate of Benjamin. Jer. 20 : 
2 ; 37 : 13 ; Zech. 14 : 10. If so, it was 400 cu- 
bits distant from the 3. Comer gate. 2 Chron. 
25 : 23 ; 26 : 9 ; Jer. 31 : 38 ; Zech. 14 : 10. 4. 
Gate of Joshua, governor of the city. 2 Kings 
23 : 8. 5. Gate between the two walls. 2 
Kings 25 : 4 ; Jer. 39 : 4. 6. Horse gate. Neh. 
3 : 28 ; 2 Chron. 23 : 15 ; Jer. 31 : 40. 7. Ravine 
gate, R. v., valley gate, i. e., opening on 
ravine of BQnnom. 2 Chron. 26 : 9 ; Neh. 2 : 
13, 15 ; 3 : 13. 8. Fish gate. 2 Chron. 33 : 14 ; 
Neh. 12 : 39. 9. Dung gate. Neh. 2 : 13 ; 3 : 
13. 10. Sheep gate. Neh. 3 : 1, 32 ; 12 : 39. 11. 
East gate. Neh. 3 : 29. 12. Miphkad. R. V., 
" HammipUkod." Neh. 3 : 31. 13. Fountain 
gate (Siloam?). Neh. 12:37. 14. Water 
gate. Neh, 12 : 37. 15. Old gate. Neh. 12 : 
39. 16. Prison gate. Neh. 12 : 39. 17. Gate 
Harsith (perhaps the Sun), A. V., East gate. 
Jer. 19 : 2. 18. First gate. Zech. 14 : 10. 19. 
Gate Gennath (gardens). Joseph. B. J. v. 4, 
§4- 20. Essenes' gate. Joseph. B. J. 4, §2. 
To these should be added the following 
gates of the temple : Gate Sur. 2 Kings 11 : 
6. Called also Gate of foundation. 2 Chron. 
23 : 5. Gate of the guard, or behind the 
guard. 2 Kings 11 : 6, 19 ; called the High 
gate, R. v., " Upper gate." 2 Chron. 23 : 20; 
27 : 3 ; 2 Kings 15 : 35. Gate Shallecheth. 1 
Chron. 26 : 16. It is impossible to say which 
or how many of these names designate dif- 
ferent gates. The chief gates of Jerusalem 
now are four : the Damascus gate on the 
north, the Jaffa gate on the west, David or 
Zion gate on the south, and St. Stephen's 
gate on the east. The Mohammedans have 
other names for these gates. Only during 
the past six centuries have traditions con- 
nected the martyr Stephen with the pres- 
ent St. Stephen's gate; before that they 
were located to the north about the Da- 
mascus gate. The small door in the gate, 
to admit persons to enter after fhe gate was 
locked at night, is in the Jaffa gate, but it 
was built only 30 years ago. There is no 
evidence that there was such a door in our 
Lord's time, and to use it, as illustrating 
" the needle's eye," Luke 8 : 25, is without 
warrant from ancient history. 

WaUs. — According to Jose'phus, the first 
or old wall began on the north at the tower 
called Hippicus, the ruins now called Kasr 
Jalud at the northwest angle of the pres- 
ent city, and, extending to the Xystus, 
joined the council house, and ended at the 
west cloister of the temple. The second 
wall began at the gate Gennath, in the old 
wall, probably near the Hippicus, and 
passed round the northern quarter of the 
city, enclosing the great valley of the Ty- 

121 



JERUSALEM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JERUSALEM 



ropoeon, which leads up to the Damascus 
gate; and then, proceeding southward, 
joined the fortress Antonia. The points de- 
scribed by Josephus in the course of tlxis 
wall have not been identified, and have 
given rise to sharp disputes, as the course 
of this wall goes far towards deciding the 
true site of Calvary. John 19 : 20 ; Luke 23 : 
33. The third wall was built by King 
Herod Agrippa; and was intended to en- 
close the suburbs on the northern sides of 
the city, which before this had been left 
exposed. 

Extent. — After describing the walls, Jo- 
sephus adds that the whole circumference 
of the city was 33 stadia, or nearly four 
Enghsh miles, which is as near as niay be 
the extent indicated by the locahties. He 
then adds that the nurnber of towers in the 
old wall was 60, the middle wall 40, and the 
new wall 99. Jerusalem of to-day as wall ed 
in would require about an hour to walk 
around it. The walls, measuring straight 
from point to point, are about 12,000 feet in 
length ; the north wall being 3930 feet, the 
east wall 2754 feet, the south wall 3245 feet, 
and the west wall 2086 feet. The area in 
the present city is about 210 acres. The 
ancient city included the southern slopes 
of Zion and' Ophel, which in modern times 
have been under cultivation, thus fulfilhng 
the prediction, "Zion shall be ploughed 
Za-eafield." Jer. 26:18. 

The Pools of Gihon, Siloam, Hezekiah, 
Bethesda, En-rogel, etc., will be noticed 
under their proper titles. 

The king's garden, Neh. 3 : 15, was prob- 
ably outside the citj,' at the south, as Geth- 
semane, Matt. 26 : 3'6, was eastward at the 
foot of the Mount of Ohves. Of the various 
so-called streets, as the " east street," R.Y., 
" the broad place on the east," 2 Chron. 29 : 
4 ; the " street of the city," i. e., the city of 
David, R. V., "broad place at the gate of 
the city," 2 Chron. 32:6; the "street," R. 
v., "broad place facing the water gate," 
Neh. 8 : 1, 3, or, according to the parallel 
account in 1 Esdr. 9 : 38, the " broad place of 
the temple towards the east ; " the "street 
of the house of God," Ezra 10 : 9, R. V., 
"broad place ; " the " street," R. Y., "broad 
place of the gate of Ephraim," Neh 8 : 16 ; 
and the " open place of the first gate toward 
the east " could not have been " streets," in 
our sense of the word, but rather open 
spaces found in eastern towns near the 
inside of the gates. Streets, properly so 
called, there were, however, Jer. 5:1; 11 : 
13, etc. ; but the name of only one, "the 
bakers' street," Jer. 37 : 21, is preserved to us. 

History.— Only a brief notice of its history 
can be given. We catch our earhest ghmpse 
of Jerusalem in Josh. 10 : 1, and in Judg. 1, 
which describes how the " children of Ju- 
dah smote it with the edge of the sword, 
and set the city on tire ; " and almost the 
latest mention of it in the New Testament 
is contained in the solemn warnings in 
which Christ foretold how Jerusalem should 
be "compassed with armies," Luke 21 : 20, 
and the "abomination of desolation" be 
seen standing in the Holy Place, Matt. 24 : 
15. In the 15 centuries which elapsed be- 

122 



tween those two periods, the city_ was be- 
sieged no fewer than 17 times : twice it was 
razed to the ground; and on two other 
occasions its walls were levelled. In this 
respect it stands without a parallel in any 
city, ancient or modem. David captured 
the city, b. c. 1046. and made it his capital, 
fortified and enlarged it. 2 Sam. 5:7; 6 : 
2-16 ; 1 Kings 11 : 36. Solomon adorned 
the city with beautiful buildings, including 
the temple, but made no additions to its 
walls. 1 Kings 7 : 2-7 ; 8 ; 10 : 7 ; 2 Chron. 
9 : 1-12. The city was taken by the Philis- 
tines and Arabians in the reignof Jehoram, 
B. c. 886, and by the IsraeUtes in the reign 
of Amaziah, b.'c. 826. The books of Kings 
and of Chronicles give the history of Jeru- 
salem under the monarchy. It was thrice 
taken by Nebuchadnezzar,* in the years B. 
c. 607, 597, and 586, in the last of which it 
was utterly destroyed. Its restoration com- 
menced under Cyrus, B. c. 536, and was 
completed under Artaxerxes I., who issued 
commissions for this purpose to Ezra, B. c. 
457, and Nehemiah, b. c. 445. Neh. 4 : 7-22 ; 
6 : 1-16. In b. c. 332 it was captured by 
Alexander the Great, and again under An- 
tiochus Epiphanes, b. c. 170. Under the 
Maccabees Jerusalem became independent 
and retained its jxjsition untU its capture 
by the Romans under Pompey, B. c. 63. 
The temple was subsequently plundered 
by Crassus, B. c. 54, and the city by the 
P'arthians, B. c. 40. Herod took up his resi- 
dence there, and restored the temple with 
great magnificence. It was taken and de- 
stroyed by the Romans under Titus, when 
it had held out nearly five months, a. d. 70, 
fulfilling Christ's prophecy. Matt. 24. 
Hadrian restored it as a Roman colony, a. 
D. 135. The emperor Constantine erected 
a church on the supposed site of the holy 
sepulchre, a. d. 336, and Justinian added 
several churches and hospitals, about a. d. 
532. It was taken by the Persians under 
Chosroes H. in a. d.'614. In a. d. 637 the 
patriarch Sophronius surrendered to the 
khalif Omar, and the Holy City passed 
into the hands of the Fatiinite dynasty'. 
About 1084 it was bestowed upon'Ortok, 
whose severitj' to the Christians became the 
proximate ca'use of the Crusades. It was 
taken by the Crusaders in 1099, and for 8S 
years Jerusalem remained in the hands of 
the Christians. In 1187 it was retaken by Sal- 
adin after a siege of several weeks. In 1277 
Jerusalem was nominally annexed to the 
kingdom of Sicily. In 1517 it passed imder 
the sway of the Ottoman sultan Sehm I., 
whose successor, Suhman, built the present 
walls of the city in 1542. Mohammed All, 
the pasha of Egvpt. took possession of it 
in 1832 ; and in 1840, after the bombardment 
of Acre, it was again restored to the sultan 
and has since remained in the hands of the 
Turks. A steam railway was opened from 
Jaffa (Joppa) to Jerusalem in October, 1892. 
Population.— It is estimated that modern 
Jerusalem has from 50,000 to 75,000 inhabi- 
tants, of whom 12, 000 are Mohammedans, 
8000 Christians, and 25,000 to 30,000 (Conder 
says 40,000) Jews, nearly 30,000 depending 
largely for their Uving upon benevolent 



JESSURUN 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JESSE 



gifts from religious brethren elsewhere. The 
population of Jerusalem in ancient times 
probably did not exceed 75,000 at any 
period of Bible history. 

Recent Explorations. — Besieged 17 times, 
twice destroyed, ancient Jerusalem is now 
buried under 80 feet of earth and rubbish. 
Of the explorations and present condition 
of the city, Selah Merrill, Umted States 
consul at Jerusalem (in Jackson's concise 
Dictionary), says : " One would suppose 
that in a place Uke Jerusalem, which has 
always been a centre of special interest, 
there would be many remains of antiquity 
and a large number of historical sites whose 
genuineness no person would question. 
The truth is just the contrary of this. Very 
many things are doubtless buried which 
will, from time to time, be brought to light, 
as has been the case during the past 25 
years. Thanks to recent excavations, cer- 
tain points and objects have been recovered 
whicn may be accepted as authentic be- 
yond dispute. Thus we have the actual 
site of the Herodian temple, together with 
portions of the wall which supported its 
area, also the remains of a bridge of the 
same period which led from the temple to 
Mount Zion. We have the point of the na- 
tive rock over which the altar was built, 
and from this are able to determine the 
site of the Holy of Holies. We can point 
to the spot where the castle of Antonia 
stood, and thus fix the eastern terminus of 
the * second wall.' " Near the Jaffa gate Dr. 
Merrill " discovered, in 1885, a section of this 
wall, whose position has been so long in 
dispute. One hundred and twenty feet of 
it were exposed, consisting of one, two, and 
in a single place of three layers of massive 
stones, and from this the position of the 
Gennath Gate can be determined within a 
few yards. The lower portion of the so- 
called ' Castle of David ' belongs to the 
time of Herod, if not to an earher period. 
In the northwest corner of the city the 
foundations of one of the great towers of 
ancient Jerusalem have been uncovered, 
and massive work of the same age is found 
at the Damascus Gate. Under the mosque 
El Aksa are the columns of the Double 
Gate and the Porch belonging to it, through 
which our Lord must have often entered 
the temple. There is no question about 
the valleys Hinnom, Jehoshaphat, and the 
Tyropoean, or the pool of Si loam. The rock- 
cut conduit, leading for 1700 feet under 
Ophel, connecting the Pool of Siloam with 
the Virgin's Fountain, in which the Siloam 
inscription was discovered in 1880, dates 
from the time of the Hebrew kings. North 
of the city we have the tomb of Helena, 
the mother of Izates, built in the last cen- 
tury before Christ ; and there are a few 
other objects, as the Tomb of Absalom and 
that of Jehoshaphat, which certainly be- 
long to ancient times, but whose exact date 
cannot be determined." The old Pool of 
Bethesda was lately discovered by Conrad 
Schick, under the Church of St. Anne. Be- 
yond these, our knowledge of the various 
places in ancient Jerusalem, noticed in the 
Bible and Josephus, is indefinite if not cha- 



otic. Jerusalem is not a centre of trade, 
and it has few manufactures or business by 
which wealth can be acqxiired. Money- 
changers are numerous because people from 
many other countries are found there, most 
of whom bring with them coin that is not 
current in the city. Shopkeepers are sel- 
dom able to make change themselves, and 
it is understood that the purchaser must 
come prepared to pay the exact amount of 
his purchase. Upward of 40 different lan- 
guages and dialects are spoken in Jerusa- 
lem. Society is of a low order. The peo- 
ple are slow to adapt themselves to new 
conditions. There is, however, reason 
to hope for improvement under better 
rehgious and educational influences, and 
under a wise and helpful government. 

In Scripture and Prophecy. Jerusalem is 
named 799 times in the Bible, and many 
times alluded to in sacred history and proph- 
ecy. Its strength and beauty are no- 
ticed, Ps. 48 : 2, 11-13 ; 122 : 2-5 ; its peace is 
prayed for, Ps. 51 : 18 ; 122 : 6-8 ; its glory 
noticed, Ps. 87 : 1-6. The siege and desola- 
tion of the city for sins were predicted, Isa. 
29:1-3; 27:10; Jer. 4 : 11 ; 19:^8; 21:10; 
22 : 28, 31 ; especially its destruction by the 
Chaldeans, Jer. 13 : 9, 18 ; 34 : 22 ; Ezek. 24 : 
2 ; Amos 2 : 5. These predictions were lit- 
erally fulfilled. See 1 Kings 14 : 25, 26 ; Jer. 
51 : 50, 51 ; Lam. 2 : 13 ; 5 : 11-22. Its preser- 
vation and restoration at times promised 
and performed, 2 Kings 19 : 10 ; 2 Chron. 
32 : 9-20 ; Isa. 37 : 17, 20, 33-36 ; Ps. 69 : 35, 
where it is called Zion : compare Isa. 11 : 9, 
10 ; Jer. 31 : 1, 4, 38-40 ; Zech. 8 : 3-5. Again 
its destruction by the Romans was predicted, 
Zech. 14 : 2 ; Luke 19 : 41-44 ; and 21 : 9, 10, 
20, 24; and Josephus' description of the 
siege and destruction of the city under 
Titus ( Wars, Bk. vi.) shows how terrible was 
the fulfillment of this prophecy of Christ. 
It is still the " Sacred City," however, to 
the Jew, the Christian, and the Moslem, 
hallowed by the footsteps and suflFerings of 
the Son of God. 

Jeshurun (jSsh'u-ritn or je-shU'run) 
happy, and once in A. V. Jesurun, Isa. 44 
2, a symbolical name for Israel in Deut. 32 
15 ; 33 : 5, 26 ; Isa. 44 : 2. It is most proba- 
bly derived from a root signifying "to be 
blessed." 

Jesse (jSs'se), wealthy. The father of 
David, the son of Obed, and grandson of 
Boaz and the Moabitess Ruth. He was also 
a descendant of Rahab the Canaanite, of 
Jericho. Matt. 1 : 5. Jesse's genealogy is 
twice given in full in the Old Testament, 
viz., Ruth 4 : 18-22 and 1 Chron. 2 : 5-12. 
He is commonly designated as " Jesse, the 
Bethlehemite," 1 Sam. 16 : 1, 18 ; 17 : 58 ; but 
his full title is "the Ephrathite of Bethle- 
hem Judah." 1 Sam. 17:12. He was an 
" old man " when noticed in 1 Sam. 17 : 12, 
with eight sons, 1 Sam. 16 : 10 ; 17 : 12, re- 
siding at Bethlehem. 1 Sam. 16 : 4, 5. Jesse's 
wealth seems to have consisted of sheep 
and goats, which were under the care of 
David. 1 Sam. 16 : 11 ; 17 : 34, 35. After 
David was compelled to leave the court 
of Saul, he took his father and his 
mother into the country of Moab, and 

123 



JESUS CHRIST 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JESUS CHRIST 



there they disappear from the records of 
Scripture, b. c. 1068-61. 

Jesus Christ. The name of the Sa- 
viour, signifying his work and authority ; 
Jesus (the Greek form of the Hebrew 
Josliua) means Jehovah saves, or Saviour. 
Matt. 1 : 21. Christ (the Greek translation 
of the Hebrew Messiah) means anointed. 
Jesus was his common name during his 
Ufe on earth, generally used in the gospels. 
Christ is his official name, frequently used 
alone" or with Jesus in the epistles. Jesus 
occurs in the Bible 711 times; Christ 304 
times ; Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, and 
Christ Jesus (anointed Saviour), 244 times, 
and Messiah 4 times. He has many other 
titles and names in Scripture, as " Imman- 
uel," Matt. 1 : 23; "Son of God," John 1: 
34 ; " Son of man," John 8 : 28 ; " Son of Da- 
vid," etc., Mark 10:47, 48; in all, upwards 
of 100 titles, indicating his character, life, 
and work. 

The predictions concerning Christ were 
many— about 150 or more— and were made 
at various periods of Old Testament history. 
He was to be born in Bethlehem, a small 
village, Micah 5:2; he was to be a king 
with a universal and perpetual empire, Ps. 
2 : 6 ; 45 : 2-7 ; 72 ; Isa. 9 : 6, 7 ; yet would be 
despised and rejected. Isa. 53. He was to 
open the eyes of the bhnd and the ears of 
the deaf, Isa. 35 : 5, 6, and yet to be betrayed, 
sold and slain and his 'grave appointed 
with the wicked. Yet his sufferings should 
make many righteous. Isa. 11 : 1-9 ; 60 : 1- 
11. He was to do the work of a prophet, 
Isa. 42 : 1-7 ; of a priest, Ps. 110 : 4 : Zech. 6 : 
13 ; and of a king. Dan. 7 : 14. These pre- 
dictions, and many others of hke nature, 
were all fulfilled in Jesus the Son of Mary. 

He is the centre of all Jewish and Chris- 
tian history; the "Holy of Holies" in the 
history of the world. There is space here 
for the briefest outline only of his human 
life, his mysterious person, and his work. 

His Life. — While Augustus was emperor 
of Rome, and Herod the Great king in Je- 
rusalem, Jesus was bom four years before 
1 A. D., the Christian era having been fixed 
. by Dionysius Exiguus of the sixth cen- 
tury, four years too late. Mary, a virgin, 
betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth, gave birth 
to Jesus at Bethlehem according to Micah's 
prophecy. Micah 5 : 2. Angels celebrated 
It with songs, and wise men from the East 
brought precious gifts to the new-born babe. 
To escape Herod's threats, the child Jesus 
was taken to Egypt, but later settled with 
his parents at Nazareth. Only one event 
of his childhood is known — a visit when 12 
years old to Jerusalem, when he astonished 
the doctors by his words and questions. He 
was trained as other Jewish lads of his sta- 
tion. At three the boy was weaned, and wore 
for the first time the fringed or tasselled gar- 
ment prescribed by Num. 15 : 38-41 and Deut. 
22 : 12. His education began at first under the 
mother's care. At five he was to learn the 
law, at first by extracts written on scrolls 
of the more important passages, the Shemd 
or creed of Deut. 2:4; the Hallel or festival 
psalms, Ps. 114, 118, 136, and by catechet- 
ical teaching in school. At 12 he became 

124 



more directly responsible for his obedience 
to the law ; and on the day when he at- 
tained the age of 13, put on for the first 
time the ph>-lacteries which were worn at 
the recital of his daily prayer. In addition 
to this, Jesus learned the carpenter's trade 
of Joseph. 

Ministry.— Ris pubUc ministry is usually 
regarded as lasting upwards of three years. 
John records more of the Judsean ministry, 
Luke more of his Persean ministry, while 
Matthew and Mark give his Gahlean min- 
istry, as does Luke also. John the Baptist, 
in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, Luke 3 : 1, 
produced a deep impression by preaching 
repentance. Jesus sought baptism at his 
hands, and was tempted of the devil. He 
then went to Cana of GaUlee, where he 
worked his first miracle at a wedding. With 
some disciples, he set out for Jerusalem to 
keep the passover. His first work was the 
cleansing of the temple from traffickers and 
money-changers — which he repeated near 
the close of his ministry. Matt. 21 : 12. He 
received a visit by night from Nicodemus. 
Presently the Baptist was thrown into prison 
and the Saviour withdrew to Galilee. On 
his way through Samaria he conversed with 
a woman at Jacob's well. At Nazareth he 
was rejected by the people, and went to 
Capernaum, which henceforth became " his 
own city." Here he called Peter and An- 
drew and James and John, and made his 
first tour through Galilee, performing many 
miracles. Early in the second year of his 
ministrv Jesus went up to Jerusalem to a 
feast of the Jews, John 5 : 1, and healed a 
lame man at the pool of Bethesda, ex- 
plained the right use of the Sabbath, a sub- 
ject which he resumed when his disciples 
were plucking ears of corn on his return 
to Galilee. When he reached the Sea of 
Galilee multitudes followed htm. He ap- 
pointed the twelve apostles and deUvered 
the Sermon on the Mount, and commenced 
a second tour in Galilee, during which he 
delivered the series of parables in Matt. 13, 
stilled the storm on Galilee, healed the de- 
moniacs of Gadara, raised the daughter of 
Jairus, and after other miracles came again 
to Nazareth, where he was again rejected. 
He then made a third tour in Galilee, and 
sent forth the apostles, giving the instruc- 
tions recorded in Matt. 10 : 11. After an in- 
ter\'al of some months the twelve returned, 
and with them he retired to the Sea of Gal- 
ilee, fed the 5000, walked on the water, and 
delivered his sermon on the bread of Ufe, 
John 6, in the synagogue at Capernaum. 
Early in the third year of his ministry, 
Jesus disputed with the Pharisees about eat- 
ing with unwashed hands, and went toward 
the northwest, healed the daughter of the 
Syrophoenician woman, and then passed 
around to Decapolis, where he wrought 
many miracles and fed 4000. Near Csesarea 
Phili'ppi Peter made his confession of faith, 
and then Jesus foretold his own death and 
resurrection and the trials of his followers. 
The transfiguration followed, and the next 
morning the healing of an epileptic child. 
On the way back to Capernaum he again 
foretold his sufferings, and exhorted the 



JETHtlO 



OP THE BlJBLE, 



JEW 



disciples to humility, forbearance, and 
brotherly love. About this time he in- 
structed and sent out the 70 on their mis- 
sion. Then he left Gahlee, and having 
cleansed ten lepers came to Jerusalem at 
the Feast of Tabernacles. John 7 : 2. Here 
he taught in public, and answered a lavsr- 
yer's question with the parable of the Good 
Samaritan. The heahng of the man bom 
bhnd led to a long discourse, which aroused 
the rulers, and Jesus retired beyond Jor- 
dan. In Persea, on his way to Jerusalem, 
ho uttered the parables of the lost sheep, 
the unjust steward, the rich man and Laz- 
arus, and the pharisee and the publican ; 
gave precepts concerning divorce ; blessed 
httle children ; taught the rich young ruler. 
He raised Lazarus at Bethany. A third time 
he foretold his death and resurrection, and 
approaching Jericho healed blind men, 
called Zacchseus, and gave the parable of 
the pounds. He arrived at Bethany six 
days before the passover. At supper, in 
Simon's house, he is anointed. At the be- 
ginning of the last week before the cruci- 
lixion Jesus made a public entry into the 
city, spoke parables and warnings, lamented 
over Jerusalem, praised the widow's mite, 
met certain Greeks and predicted his sec- 
ond coming with solemn warnings con- 
firmed by the parables of the ten virgins, 
the five talents, and the sheep and the 
goats. At the last or fourth passover with 
the twelve, Jesus instituted the Lord's Sup- 
per, delivered his farewell discourses, and 
withdrew to Gethsemane. After the agony 
in the garden he was arrested and in the 
night brought before Annas, and then Cai- 
aphasand the Sanhedrin, and in the morn- 
ing before Pilate and Herod. Pilate yielded 
to the Jews, delivered Jesus to be mocked 
and crucified. He was buried and a watch 
set upon the tomb. On the morning of the 
third day the tomb was found empty, and 
soon he appeared to the women, then to 
the disciples, who could hardly believe the 
fact. During 40 days he taught them, and 
then, near Bethany," ascended to heaven in 
their sight. 

Mysterious Person. — The great peculiarity 
of the Scripture doctrine of the person of 
Christ is that he is God and man united, 
two natures forming one personality. " He 
is not divine alone, nor human alone, but 
divine-human." He is the Eternal Word, 
John 1, the Son of God, and he is also the 
Son of man. Mark 11 : 13. This may be 
difficult for us to comprehend ; but if a 
finite mind could comprehend the whole 
of Christ's nature, Christ could not be the 
infinite God he is declared to be. John 
1:4. 

Work and Offices of Christ.— These are 
usually presented as threefold. The Bible 
and Evangelical creeds describe the Media- 
tor as a prophet, priest, and king. As prophet 
he perfectly reveals the will of the Father 
to man ; as priest he is the perfect offering 
for sin, procuring redemption for all who 
will accept of it ; as king, he is and will 
become rightful ruler and judge of this 
world, and be exalted above every name 
that is named, putting all things under him, 



receiving the praises of all created intelli- 
gences. 
Jethro {je'thro orjHh'ro), his excellence. A 

{)riest or prince of Midiaii, and father-in- 
aw^ of Moses. Ex. 3:1. He is called Ra- 
guel (R. V. "Reuel"), Num. 10:29, and 
Reuel, Ex. 2 : 18, and was probabiy known 
by either name, while Jethro was his offi- 
cial title. It is highly probable, too, that he 
was a descendant of Abraham by Keturah, 
the mother of Midian, Gen. 25 : 2 ; but what 
was the nature of his office as priest — or 
prince, as some say it should be rendered — 
we know not. 

Jew. 2 Kings 16 : 6. A name appUed first 
to men of Judah. The most common title 
for Jews in the Old Testament is "Israel" 
or " Israelites," but in the New Testament 
"Jews" is most frequently used. The 
terms "Israel" and "Israelites" occur in 
Scriptures about 2460 times; "Jew" and 
"Jews" about 275 times, and "Hebrew" 
or "Hebrews" about 50 times. "Jew" is 
a broader title than Hebrews, as it may in- 
clude Hellenists, Greek proselytes who be- 
came Jews, Acts 6:1; 24 : 18, and less spe- 
cific than IsraeUtes. See John 1 : 47 ; 2 Cor. 
11 : 22. 

Hebrew is probably from Eber, a He- 
brew word meaning " to pass over," and 
the name of an aiicestor of Abram, Gen. 10 : 
24 ; 11 : 13. Abram is first called " the He- 
brew " in Gen. 14 : 13. The Egyptians, 
Gen. 39 : 14 ; 41 : 12, and the Philistines, 1 
Sam. 4 : 6, knew the people by this title. 
But they sometimes use it of themselves, 
but only when foreigners are thought of. 
Gen. 40 • 15 ; Ex. 2 : 7. The favorite name 
was " Israelites," and after the captivity 
the title " Jews" came into vogue, but the 
title " Hebrews" was still used for the more 
strict Jews, who preferred the Hebrew lan- 
guage, in distinction from the Hellenists or 
Grecian Jews. The Hebrew people were 
descended directly from Abram, Gen. 12 : 
1, through Isaac and Jacob, and are fre- 
quently called the "seed of Abraham," Ps. 
105 : 6 ; John 8 : 37, or " children of Abra- 
ham," Gal. 3 : 7, or " children of Israel," 
Ex. 1 : 13. God, to carry out his purpose 
and preserve his church, called Abraham 
to leave his father's house and his country, 
and separated him and his household from 
the rest of mankind ; gave him special 
promises, made covenants with him, and 
constituted him the "Father of the Faith- 
ful" to the world. From that time, for 
two thousand years, the visible church of 
God was confined to the family of this 
man ; and for fifteen centuries the history 
of this family is the only sacred history of 
the world. During fifty generations of the 
children of Adam the family of this man, 
or rather the descendants of a part of it, 
"elected according to the purpose of God," 
Rom. 9 : 11, enjoyed exclusive privileges ; 
to the Israelites alone "pertaineth the adop- 
tion, and the glory, and the covenants, and 
the giving of the law, and the service of 
God, and the promises, whose are the fa- 
thers, and of whom as concerning the flesh 
Christ came, who is over all, God blessed 
forever. Amen." Rom. 9 : 45. They were 

125 



JEW 



PEOPLE'S DtCTIOifAPY 



JEZEBEL 



separated from the world by most stringent 
laws ; and it was necessary during all that 
time for the rest of mankind, through 
the Jews, to learn the way to be saved. 
The darkness of death overshadowed all 
other lands. Thanks be to God ! when the 
fullness of time was come, when salvation 
was completed by the life, death, and res- 
iirrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
reservoir of truth was thus filled, the gates 
were opened ; and the command was given 
to the church to go forth and to proclaim 
the glad tidings of salvation to all nations 
and to preach the gospel to everj' creature. 
"The gospel preached unto Abraham," 
before the giving of the law: "In thee 
shall all nations be blessed" was the first 
proclamation "that God would justify the 
heathen through faith." Gal. 3 : 8. Noth- 
ing can more conclusively show the hand 
of God in directing the history of the 
world, and in controlling the affairs of na- 
tions, than the prophecies and the facts 
connected with the history of Abraham and 
of his descendants. Two thousand years 
after the promise was made to him ; in thy 
seed shall all the famihes and all the na- 
tions of the earth be blessed. Gen. 12 : 3 ; 
18 : 18 ; 22 : 18. It was fulfilled in the ad- 
vent of the Son of God, born of the seed of 
Abraham. The fearful prophecies of God 
concerning the descendants of Abraham, 
uttered before they entered the promised 
land, have been continually in progress of 
fulfillment to the letter. The Jews have 
not only undergone the horrors of the 
siege and the loss of their country, so 
graphically foretold and described in the 
28th chapter of Deuteronomy; but they 
are, at this day, Uving witnesses to the 
truth of God's word. More than three 
thousand years ago, while on a conquering 
march, with visions of glory before them, 
they were warned of their future apostacy, 
and were told of the judgments that would 
fall upon them and upon their land. It 
was said to them, "Thou shalt become an 
astonishment, a proverb and a by-word 
among all nations, whither the Lord shall 
lead thee." Deut. 28: 37. "These curses 
shall be upon thee for a sign and for a 
wonder, and upon thy seed." Deut. 28 : 
45, 46. " The Lord shall scatter thee among 
all people, from the one end of the earth 
even unto the other; . . . and among 
these nations shalt thou find no ease, nei- 
ther shall the sole of thy foot have rest." 
Deut, 28 : 64, 65. This has been literally 
the sad lot of this wonderful people for the 
last eighteen hundred years. Besides these 
foretold judgments upon the Jews there 
are also in the word of God promises of 
blessings yet to be enjoyed by them. In 
some of these the world has an interest. 
"While telling the Israelites of the woes that 
should come upon them, God added : "And 
yet, for all that, when they be in the land 
of their enemies, I will not cast them away, 
neither will I abhor them, to destroy them 
utterly, and to break my covenant with 
them : for I am the Lord their God." Lev. 
26 : 44. We are told " Blindness in part is 
happened to Israel, until the fulness of the 

126 



Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel 
shall be saved : as it is written, There shall 
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall 
turn away ungodhness from Jacob." Rom. 
11 : 25. Paul tells us, "Through their fall 
salvation is come unto the G entiles. ' ' Rom. 
11 : 11. And he informs us that the world is 
again to be indebted to the Jews ; he says : 
"Now if the fall of them he the riches of 
the world and the diminishing of them the 
riches of the Gentiles ; how much more 
their fulness? " Rom. 11 : 11, 12. The res- 
toration and conversion of the Jews is thus 
connected with the great ingathering of all 
nations into the Church of Christ ; and the 
time of this is at hand. The Jews by their 
talents and industry exert great influence 
among Christian nations. They have long 
been the great bankers of the world. The 
Rothschild family with its immense wealth 
has controlled the money market. The 
Jews have famished great scholars and 
statesmen. Neander, the church historian, 
and Stahl, the jurist, were converted Jews ; 
the great musician, Mendelssohn, Barthol- 
di, Lord Beaconsfield, Gambetta, Castelar, 
were of Jewish extraction. They have dis- 
tinguished themselves in all the occupa- 
tions except agriculture and manufactures. 
They are divided into orthodox and Uberal 
or reform Jews, who differ from each other 
as the Pharisees and Sadducees of old. 
The former prevail in Russia, Poland and 
the East ; the latter in Germany and Amer- 
ica. Many of the Jews to-day are deists, or 
rationalists. The number of Jews in the 
world is estimated at 9,000,000, of whom 
50,000 hve in New York city, where they 
accumulate great wealth. The last word 
of Christ and the apostles concerning this 
wonderful people — which, like the burn- 
ing bush, are never consumed — is a word 
of promise and hope that their blindness 
will be removed, and that after the fulness 
of the Gentiles has come in "all Israel 
shall be saved." Rom. 11 : 26. We are in- 
debted to the Jews for our knowledge of 
God, and of the way of salvation. All of 
the Scriptures were written by Jews. Moses, 
the prophets, and the apostles were all 
Jews. Jesus Christ, our Lord, " was made 
of the seed of David according to the flesh ;" 
and he says : " Salvation is of the Jews." 
John 4 : 22. 

Jewry (jeit/ry), a word elsewhere ren- 
dered "Judah" and "Judsea." It occurs 
once in the Old Testament, Dan. 5 : 13, 
where it is rendered " Judah " in the R. V., 
and several times in the Apocryphal and 
New Testament books. See Judah and 
Judaea. 

Jezebel {j^z'e-hll), chaste. Isabella. 1. 
The daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre, and 
wife of Ahab, king of Israel, infamous for 
her idolatry, wickedness and cruel perse- 
cution of the prophets of Jehovah. She 
estabUshed the worship of Baal and other 
idols in the kingdom of Israel. 1 Kings 18 : 
3-19. When Elijah caused 450 prophets of 
Baal to be put to death this wicked woman 
threatened to slay Elijah, but he escape'd. 
Jezebel planned and executed the murder 
of Naboth, using the authority and name 



JEZREEL 



OF TEE BIBLE. 



JOB 



of the king, and showing her remarkable 
influence over the wicked Ahab and over 
the leading men in the kingdom. 1 Kings 
21 : 1-13. Indeed, her character throughout 
exhibits her as a remarkably able and 
decisive but impious woman. For even 
after Ahab's death she maintained the 
ascendency over her son Joram. The doom 
of this impious queen was predicted by the 
prophet Elijah, and was in due time visited 
upon her to the very letter. See 1 Kings 
21 : 23, and 2 Kings 9 : 36, 37. See Ahab. 
2. A symbolical name of a woman in the 
chiirch at Thyatira, who corrupted the 
people; so called in allusion to Ahab's 
idolatrous wife. Rev. 2 : 20-24, 

Jezreel {jcz're-el). God hath planted. 1. 
A city in the plain of the same name be- 
tween Gilboa and Little Hermon. It was a 
boimdary of Issachar. Josh. 19 : 18. Ahab 
chose it for his chief residence. The selec- 
tion shows the ability of this wicked king. 
Near by were a temple and grove of Astarte, 
with an estabhshment of 400 priests sup- 
ported by Jezebel. 1 Kings 18 : 19 ; 2 Kings 
10 : 11. The palace of Ahab, 1 Kings 21 : 1, 
probably containing his "ivory house," 1 
Kings 22 : 39, was on the eastern side of the 
city. Compare 1 Kings 21 : 1 ; 2 Kings 9 : 
25, 30, 33. Jezebel lived by the city wall, 
and had a high window facing eastward. 
2 Kings 9 : 30. It had a watch-tower, on 
which a sentinel stood. 2 Kings 9 : 17. 
The gateway of the city on the east was 
also the gateway of the palace. 2 Kings 
9 : 34. The vineyard of Naboth was prob- 
ably on the vineclad hill outside the city 
to the eastward. A spring near is now 
Cdl\e6. ' Ain-JalM, or the "Spring of GoU- 
ath," and is the " fountain " or " spring" in 
" Jezreel." 1 Sam. 29 : 1. After the fall of 
the house of Ahab, Jezreel also fell into a 
dechne. It is now a miserable village of a 
dozen houses, and known as Zerin. 2. A 
town in Judah, in the neighborhood of the 
southern Carmel. Josh. 15 : 56. Here David 
in his wanderings took Ahinoam the Jez- 
reelitess for liis second wife. 1 Sam. 27 : 3 ; 
30:5. 

Jezreel, Valley of. A triangular plain 
extending from the Mediterranean to the 
Jordan, and from the ridge of Carmel to 
the mountains in Gahlee. It is about 25 
miles long from east to west, and 12 miles 
wide from north to south. There Barak 
and Gideon triumphed ; Deborah sung her 
war song ; Saul and Jonathan fell near by, 
on the mountains of Gilboa; here king 
Josiah was mortally wounded by the Egyp- 
tians. From the base of this triangular 
plain three branches stretch out eastward, 
divided by two bleak gray ridges, one called 
Mount Gilboa, the other Little Hermon. 
The central branch is the richest as well as 
the most celebrated. It is the valley of 
Jezreel proper ; the battle-field where Gid- 
eon triumphed and Saul and Jonathan 
were overthrown. Judg. 7 : 1, flf. ; 1 Sam. 29 
and 31. The plain is noted for its wonder- 
ful richness. 

Joab {jo'db), whose father is Jehovah. 1. 
The son of Zeruiah, and nephew of David, 
and commander-in-chief of his army. He 



was an accompUshed warrior, but a most 
unscrupulous man. 1 Chron. 2 : 16 ; 11 : 6. 
He treacherously assassinated Abner. 2 
Sam. 2 : 23 ; 3 : 27. When Absalom rebelled 
Joab adhered to David ; and contrary to 
express orders he put Absalom to death. 2 
Sam. 18 : 14. David then made Amasa gen- 
eral of his army, but Joab was so offended 
that he also assassinated Amasa, as he had 
done Abner. 2 Sam. 20 : 10. Joab combined 
in the plot to set Adonijah on the throne, 
in defiance of the will of David, who had, 
by divine direction, resolved to make Solo- 
mon king. 1 Kings 2 : 28. After the death 
of David, Joab was slain at the altar, 
whither he had fled for protection ; and 
was buried in his own domain in the wil- 
derness. 2 Kings 2 : 5-34. 2. A descendant 
of Judah. 1 Chron. 4 : 14. 3. One whose 
posterity returned from exile. Ezra 2:6; 8 : 
9 ; Neh. 7 : 11. 

Joasli {jo'dsh), Jehovah gives. 1. The 
son and successor of Ahaziah, king of 
Judah, called also Jehoash. On the mur- 
der of his brethren by Athahah, he was 
saved by his aunt Jehosheba, the wife of 
Jehoiada the high priest, who hid him for 
six years in one of the rooms of the tem- 
ple. When Joash was 7 years of age, Je- 
hoiada planned with Azariah and others, 
to place young Joash upon the throne, and 
to dethrone his grandmother, the wicked 
Athahah ; and the young king was crowned 
in the court of the temple with great so- 
lemnity. 2 Kings 11. Joash behaved him- 
self well while Jehoiada hved and was his 
guide ; but no sooner was this good man 
dead than he began to hsten to the coun- 
sels of his wicked courtiers. Zechariah the 
priest, son of Jehoiada, warned him of his 
sin and danger; but as a reward of his 
fidelity, he was, by order of Joash, stoned 
to death between the porch and the altar, 
prophesying that God would avenge his 
death. 2 Chron. 24 : 20-22. After suffering 
a variety of injuries from the Syrians, and 
after being loaded with ignominy, Joash 
was murdered by his own servants, after a 
reign of 41 years. His remains were re- 
fused a place in the royal sepulchre. See 
also 2 Kings 12 ; 13 : 1 ; 2 Chron. 22 : 10-12 ; 
23 ; 24. 2. The son and successor of Jeho- 
ahaz, king of Israel. He reigned two or 
three years with his father and alone 14 
years. He departed not from the sins of 
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat ; nevertheless 
he was successful in three campaigns against 
the Syrians ; and in one against Amaziah, 
king of Judah. Joash seems to have been 
possessed of more talents than virtues. He 
is also called " Jehoash." 2 Kings 13 : 10- 
25 ; 14 : 1-16. 3. The father of Gideon. 
Judg. 6 : 11. 4. A son of Ahab, king of 
Israel. 1 Kings 22 : 26 ; 2 Chron. 18 : 25. 5. 
One of David's distinguished warriors. 1 
Chron. 12 : 3, 21. 6. A descendant of Judah. 
1 Chron. 4 : 22. 

Job {job). 1. The patriarch, from whom 
one of the poetical books of the Old Testa- 
ment is named. He lived in the land of 
Uz and belonged ,to the Aramean race, 
which had settled in the lower part of Mes- 
opotamia (probably to the soutn or south- 

127 



JOB, BOOK 0^ 



Pi:oPL:E'S dictionary 



JOHN THE APOSTLE 



east of Palestine, in Idumean Arabia), ad- 
jacent to the Sabeans and Chaldeans. The 
opinions of Job and his friends are thus in- 
teresting as showing a phase of patriarchal 
reUgion outside of the family of Abraham, 
and not controlled by the legislation of 
Moses. The form of worship is similar to 
the early patriarchal type ; with little of 
ceremonial ritual, without a separate priest- 
hood. Job is represented as a chieftain of 
immense wealth and high rank, blameless 
in all the relations of Ufe, subjected to spe- 
cial trials, which he endured with humil- 
ity, and finally was rewarded by marked 
blessings and great prosperity. 2. Son of 
Issachar, called Jashub. Gen. 46 : 13 ; 1 
Chron. 7 : 1. 

Job, Book of. This is an historical 
poem, as is shown by the narrative pro- 
logue and epilogue in prose. Some ascribe 
its authorship to Moses in Midian, others 
bring it down to the age of Solomon. It is 
written in pure Hebrew, and shows inti- 
mate acquaintance with both Egyptian and 
Arabian scenery and usages. Its theme is 
the problem of evil, why the righteous 
suffer and the wicked prosper in this world. 
After the outbreak of Job's despair, chap. 
3, there are three series of controversies, in 
which each of Job's friends makes an ad- 
dress, to which Job replies — save that in 
the 32d series Zophar is silent. Chaps 4- 
26. Then Job makes a closing address to 
all three, 27, 28, followed by a striking solil- 
oquy, 29-31. Elihu utters* four discourses, 
32-37, after which Jehovah speaks out of 
the whirlwind, 38-41, and Job is humbled 
and yet vindicated. The best critics of 
every age count this jxjetical book as one of 
the immortal master-pieces of genius. Car- 
lyle said that " there is nothing written of 
equal Uterary merit." But it is no less esti- 
mable for its religious and ethical worth, 
setting forth as it does the being and perfec- 
tions of Jehovah, the apostasy and guilt of 
evil spirits and of mankind, the sovereignty 
of divine providence, the mercy of God on 
the basis of sacrifice and penitence, the 
disciphnary nature of his people's sorrows, 
the wisdom of submission to his will, and 
the assurance, in view of his infinite power 
and wisdom, that all shall be well with his 
followers in the end. The Book of Job 
"may be better understood by reading it 
in the Revised English Version. 

Jocliebed [j6k'e-hM), whose glory is Je- 
hovah. The wife and at the same time the 
aunt of Amram and the mother of Moses 
and Aaron. Ex. 2 : 1 ; 6 : 20 ; Num. 26 : 59. 

Joel {jo'el). One of the minor prophets 
and son of Pethuel. Nothing is recorded 
of his personal history, but he belongs 
most likely to the reign of Uzziah, and re- 
sided in Judah. There are 14 persons of 
this name menttoned in the Bible. 

Joel, Book of. It may be divided into 
two parts : I. 1-2 : 17 describes a sore judg- 
ment which is to come upon the land, and 
is used as a call to repentance. II. 
2 : 18-3 : 21 contains the blessings which 
Jehovah will confer upon the chosen peo- 
ple, and announces when the Messiah has 
come, the outpouring of the Spirit and the 

128 



complete conquest of Judah over her foes, 
resulting in absolute and unbreakable 
peace. The second chapter contains a 
prophecy of a terrible plague of locusts, 
but a symbolical use is made of the incur- 
sion to foretell the attack of Judah's foes. 
Joel's style is classical ; " it is elegant and 
perspicuous, and at the same time nervous, 
animated, and sublime." — Ayre. The ful- 
fillment of his Messianic prophecies is no- 
ticed in the New Testament. Acts 2 : 16- 
21 ; Rom. 10 : 13. 

John the Apostle. The son of Zeb- 
edee and Salome, of Bethsaida. His father 
was able to have " hired servants " and his 
mother was one of the women who aided 
in Jesus' support, Luke 8 : 3, and took spices 
to embalm his body. Mark 16 : 1. He is re- 
garded as the youngest of the twelve apos- 
tles, but had been a disciple of John the 
Baptist, who pointed out Jesus as the Lamb 
of God to him. John 1 : 3&-37. John is 
noted as " the disciple whom Jesus loved," 
and as one of the three chosen to witness 
the restoration of Jairus' daughter, the 
transfiguration, and the agony in the gar- 
den. At the last supper he reclined on 
Jesus' bosom, and to his care Jesus on the 
cross committed his mother. He with 
Peter on the resurrection mom ran to the 
empty tomb of Jesus, and " he saw and 
beheved." When with some others he was 
fishing on the Sea of Galilee, he was the 
first to recognize the Lord standing on the 
shore. After the ascension, he and James 
and Peter were the leading apostles, Gal. 
2:9, of the infant church, and guided its 
counsels. He was banished for a time to 
the isle of Patmos. Tradition represents 
him as closing his career at Ephesus. He 
was naturally bold and severe. Our Lord 
called him a "son of thunder," but he be- 
came amiable though firm and fearless. 

John, Gospel op. The fourth Gospel is 
ascribed to John, and was probably com- 
posed, or at least put in its present shape, 
at Ephesus, between a. d. 70 and 95. The 
particular design of it is expressed by the 
author to be that we might believe that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and 
that, beheving, we might have life through 
his name. John 20 : 31. Hence the sub- 
jects and discourses of this book have spe- 
cial relation to our Lord's character and 
offices, and are evidently intended to 
prove his nature, authority, and doctrines 
as divine. The gospel contains : A. The 
prologue, 1 : 1-18 ; B. The history, 1 : 19 to 
chap. 21. 1. The preparation for Jesus' 
public ministry, (a) by John, 1 : 19-36 ; (6) 
by the choice of disciples. 1 : 37-51. 2. 
The pubhc labors of Jesus in doctrine and 
miracle, chaps. 2-12. 3. Jesus in the pri- 
vate circle of his disciples. Chaps. 13-17. 
4. The history of the passion and resurrec- 
tion or public glorification of the Lord. 
Chaps. 18-21. " The Gospel of John is," 
says Schaff, "the gospel of gospels. It is 
the most remarkable as well as most im- 
portant hterary production ever composed. 
. . . It is a marvel even in the marvellous 
Book of books. It is the most spiritual and 
ideal of gospels. It brings us, as it were, 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JORDAN 



into the immediate presence of Jesus. It 
gives us the clearest view of his incarnate 
divinity and his perfect humanity." 

John, the Epistles of, are three in 
number. They were Avritten in Ephesus, 
between a. d. 80 and 95, or possibly later. 
The first has always been attributed to 
John, though his name is neither prefixed 
nor subscribed. It is a kind of practical 
application of the gospel. It is addressed 
to Christians. The second epistle is ad- 
dressed to the "elect lady and her chil- 
dren." The elect lady is supposed to have 
been some honorable woman distinguished 
for piety, and well known in the churches 
as a disciple of Christ. Some, however, 
have thought some particular church and 
its members might be denoted. Those 
who adopt the latter opinion apply the 
term to the church at Jerusalem, and the 
term " elect sister," 2 John 13, to the church 
at Ephesus. The third epistle, which is 
addressed to Gaius, or Caius, a private in- 
dividual, and is commendatory of his piety, 
was written about the same time with the 
others. 

John {jM) the Baptist, whom God 
loves. The forerunner of our Saviour. He 
was the son of Zacharias and Ehsabeth, 
both belonging to priestly famihes. Luke 
1 : 5. His birth, name, and work were fore- 
told by the angel Gabriel. He grew up a 
Nazirite, and when about 30 years old be- 
gan to preach in the wilderness of Judaea. 
His dress, food, and manner of hfe were 
Mke Ehjah. He was fearless and faithful, 
and met with success among the people ; 
yet he was humble and gave great honor 
to Jesus, who came to his baptism. At the 
request of Jesus, John, however, baptized 
him. John continued his labors with grow- 
ing popularity for a year and a half, when 
he was cast into prison by Herod, whom he 
reproved for marrying his brother PhiUp's 
wife. In prison his faith seemed to waver, 
for he sent to Jesus to know if he were 
really the Messiah, and received a satisfac- 
tory answer. Matt. 11 : 4-6. But the maUce 
of Herodias, whose connection with Herod 
whom John had rebuked, wrought his 
death. Matt. 14 : 6-12. John was beheaded 
in prison on Herod's birthday, at the re- 
quest of the wicked Herodias. His disci- 
ples buried his body and went and told 
Jesus. 

John (Mark). The Hebrew name of 
the evangelist Mark. Acts 12 : 12, 25 ; 13 : 
5, 13 ; 15 : 37. See Mark. 

John, Revelation of. See Revela- 
tion. 

Jonadab (jdn'a-ddb), whom Jehovah im- 
pels. 1. The son of Shimeah, and nephew 
of David. " He seems to have been one of 
those characters who, in the midst of great 
or royal families, pride themselves and are 
renowned for being acquainted with the 
secrets of the whole circle in which they 
move." — Stanley. He advised the outrage 
of Tamar. 2 Sam. 13 : 3-5. 2. The form, oft- 
repeated, in Jer. 35 for Jehonadab, which 
see. 

Jonah (jo'nah), dove. The fifth of the 
minor prophets ; was the son of Amittai, 



and a native of Gath-hepher. 2 Kings 14 : 
25. He flourished in or before the reign of 
Jeroboam II., about b. c. 820. His story 
is related in the book that bears his name. 
Christ tells of "the sign of the prophet 
Jonah." Luke 11:29, 30. But the resur- 
rection of Christ itself was also shadowed 
forth in the history of the prophet. Matt. 
12 : 39, 41 ; 16 : 4. The mission of Jonah was 
highly symbolical. The old tradition made 
the.burial place of Jonah to be Gath-hepher ; 
the modern tradition places it at Nebi' 
Yumts, opposite Mosul. 
Jonatlian (jon'a-than), the gift of Jehovah. 
1. A son of Gershom and a Levite, who 
impiovisly served as a priest, first to Micah, 
and then to the Danites in Laish or Dan. 
Judg. 17 : 18. 2. A son of Saul, 1 Chron. 8 : 
33, distinguished for his lovely character. 
His brilUant exploit in Michmash, 1 Sam. 

13 and 14, illustrates his pious faith, his 
bravery, see also 1 Sam. 13 : 3, when he was 
about 30 years old, and his favor with the 
people, who would not suffer him to be 
put to death for violating Saul's foolish 
vow. This valiant and generous prince, 
" strong Uke a Hon and swift hke an eagle," 
2 Sam. 1 : 23, loved David as his own soul. 
1 Sam. 18 : 1-4 ; 19 : 2 ; 20. When he knew 
that David was chosen of God for the 
throne, he nobly yielded his own claims, 
and while holding to his father he had a 
pme and disinterested friendship for Da- 
vid. 1 Sam. 23 : 16-18. He was slain with 
his father, in battle with the Philistines at 
Mount Gilboa. The beauty and pathos of 
the elegy in which David laments his 
friend are unsurpassed in literature. 2 Sam. 
1. David found and cared for the only 
son Mephibosheth. 2 Sam. 9. There are 

14 persons of this name mentioned in the 
Bible. 

J o p p a {j6p'pah), or J a p h o (jd'pho), 
beauty, now Jaffa. A town on the south- 
west coast of Palestine, in the territory of 
Dan. Josh. 19 : 46. The harbor, though 
always as now a dangerous one, became the 
port of Jerusalem in the days of Solomon, 
and has been ever since. Here Jonah took 
ship to flee from the presence of his 
Maker. Here, on the housetop of Simon, 
the taimer, " by the seaside," Peter had his 
vision that led him to preach the gospel to 
Gentiles. Acts 11 : 5. In population Joppa 
has greatly increased within 25 years. A 
Turkish calendar enumerates 865 Moslem, 
135 Greek, 70 Greek CathoKc, 50 Latin, 6 
Maronite, and 5 Armenian families. The 
city contains from 15,000 to 20,000 inhab- 
itants. There are flourishing colonies set- 
tled in the vicinity, which foster various 
industries. 

Jordan {jor'dan), the descender, called 
"the river," Gen. 31 : 21; Josh. 1 : 11, has 
a course of little more than 200 miles, 
from the foot of Anti-Lebanon to the 
head of the Dead sea — 136 miles in a 
straight line. It is the river of the great 
depressed valley of Palestine— the "de- 
scender," if not "the river of God" in 
the book of Psalms. There were fords op- 
posite Jericho, to which the men of Jericho 
pursued the spies. Josh. 2:7; compare 

129 



JOSEPH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



JOSHUA 



Judg. 3 : 28. Higher up were the fords or 
passages of Bethbarah, where Gideon lay 
in wait for the Midianites, Judg. 7 : 24, and 
where the men of Gilead slew the Ephra- 
imites. Judg. 12 : 6. At one of these fords 
was made the first recorded passage of 
the Jordan in the Old Testament. Gen. 
32 : 10. Jordan was next crossed, over 
against Jericho, by Joshua. Josh. 4 : 12, 13. 
From their nearness to Jerusalem the lower 
fords were much used. David, it is prob- 
able, passed over them in one instance to 
fight the Syrians. 2 Sam. 10 : 17 ; 17 : 22. 
Thus there were two or more places at 
which the Jordan was usually forded ; and 
it must have been at one of these, if not at 
both, that baptism was afterwards admin- 
istered by John the Baptist, and by the dis- 
ciples of our Lord. Our Lord was baptized 
probably at the ford near Bethabara or 
Betharty. The rains and the melting of 
the snows on Lebanon caused it to 
rise and flood the valley. "The Jordan 
overflowed all his banks all the time 
of harvest." Josh. 3 : 15. The channel 
or bed of the river became brimful, so 
that the level of the water and of the banks 
was then the same. The bridges over the 
river did not exist in early times, although 
there are evidences of one near the lake of 
Galilee in the Roman period, and perhaps 
in the time of Christ. See Galilee, by S. 
Merrill. In the scriptural accounts of the 
Jordan it is frequently mentioned as a 
boundary : " over Jordaii," ' ' this " and " the 
other side," or " beyond Jordan," were ex- 
pressions familiar to the Israelites. In one 
sense, indeed, that is, in so far as it was the 
eastern boundary of the land of Canaan, it 
was the eastern boundary of the promised 
land. Num. 34 : 12. The Jordan rises from 
several sources near Panium (Bdnids), and 
passes through the lakes of Merom {Huleh) 
and Gennesaret. The two principal fea- 
tures in its course are its descent and its 
windings. From its fountain heads to the 
Dead sea it rushes down one continuous 
inchned plane, only broken by a series of 
rapids or precipitous falls. Between the 
Lake of Gennesaret and the Dead sea there 
are 27 rapids. The depression of the Lake 
of Gennesaret below the level of the Med- 
iterranean is 653 feet, and that of the Dead 
sea. 1316 feet. The whole descent from its 
source to the Dead Sea is 3000 feet. Its 
width varies from 45 to 180 feet, and it is 
from 3 to 12 feet deep.— ScMJ. The only 
tributaries to the Jordan below Genne- 
saret are the Yarmuk (Hieromax) and the 
Zerka (Jabbok). 

Josepli ijo'zef), increase. 1. The elder of 
Jacob's two sons by Rachel, Gen. 37 : 3, and 
beloved by his father. The gift of the new 
robe, or coat of many colors, was perhaps in- 
tended to give him the rights of primogeni- 
ture, as the son of his first wife, in place of 
Reuben who had forfeited them. Gen. 35 : 
22 ; 1 Chron. 5 : 1. He was born in Meso- 
potamia. Gen. 30 : 22-24. By a wonderful 
providence of God he was raised from a 
prison to be the chief ruler of Egypt under 
Pharaoh. " The story of his father's fond- 
ness, of his protest against sin among his 

130 



brothers, of their jealous hostihty and his 
prophetic dreams, of his sale by his breth- 
ren to Midianites and by them to Potiphar 
in Egypt, of the divine favor on his pure 
and prudent Ufe, his imprisonment for 
three to twelve years for virtue's sake, his 
wonderful exaltation to power and his wise 
use of it for the good of the nation, of his 
tender and reverent care of his father, his 
magnanimity to his brethren, and his faith 
in the future of God's chosen people, is one 
of the most pleasing and instructive in the 
Bible, and is related in language inimita- 
bly natural, simple, and touching. It is 
too beautiful for abridgment, and too fa- 
miliar to need full rehearsal." — Rand. The 
history of Joseph is strikingly confirmed 
by the Egyptian monuments. Joseph mar- 
ried the princess Asenath, daughter of Po- 
tipherah, priest of On ; and his two sons, 
Manasseh and Ephraim, Gen. 41 : 50, whom 
Jacob adopted, Gen. 48 : 5, became the 
heads of two of the twelve tribes of Israel 

2. The son of Heh and reputed father of 
Jesus Christ. He was a just man, and of 
the house and hneage of David. He hved 
at Nazareth in Galilee. He espoused Mary, 
the daughter and heir of his uncle Jacob, 
and before he took her home his wife re- 
ceived the angehc communication recorded 
in Matt. 1 : 20. When Jesus was twelve 
years old, Joseph took his mother and 
Jesus to keep the passover at Jerusalem, 
and when they returned to Nazareth he 
continued to act as a father to the child 
Jesus, and was reputed to be so indeed. 
But here our knowledge of Joseph ends. 
That he died before our Lord's crucifixion 
is indeed tolerably certain, by what is 
related, John 19 : 27 ; and, perhaps, Mark 6 : 

3, may imply that he "was then dead. But 
where, Avhen, or how he died, we know not. 
3. Joseph of Arimathsea, a rich and pious 
Israehte, probably a member of the Great 
Council or Sanhedrin. He is further char- 
acterized as "a good man and a just." 
Luke 23 : 50. "We are told that he did not 
"consent to the counsel and deed" of his 
colleagues in the death of Jesus. On the 
evening of the crucifixion Joseph " went 
in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body 
of Jesus." Pilate consented. Joseph and 
Nicodemus then, having enfolded the sa- 
cred body in the linen shroud which Joseph . 
had bought, placed it in a tomb hewn in a 
rock, in a garden belonging to Joseph, and 
close to the place of crucifixion. There is 
a tradition that he was one of the seventy 
disciples. 4. Joseph, called Barsabas, and 
sumamed Justus : one of the two i)ersons 
chosen by the assembled church. Acts 1 : 
23, as worthy to fill the place in the apos- 
tolic company from which Judas had 
fallen. 

Joshua (jdsh'u-ah), Saviour, or whose help 
is Jehovah. Written also Hoshea, Oshea, 
Jehoshua, Jeshua, and Jesus. 1. The 
son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. 1 
Chron. 7 : 27, and minister of Moses. Ex. 
24 : 13. He is mentioned first in connection 
with the fight against Amalek at Rephidim, 
when he was chosen by Moses to lead the 
Israelites. Ex. 17 : 9. He was one of the 



JOSIAH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JUBILEE 



twelve spies who were sent, Num. 13 : 17, 
to explore the land of Canaan, and one of 
the two. Num. 14 : 6, who gave an encour- 
aging report of their journey. Moses, 
shortly before his death, was directed, 
Num. 27 : 18, to appoint Joshua leader over 
the people. God himself gave Joshua a 
charge through the lawgiver. Deut. 31: 
14, 23. Under God's direction, Josh. 1 : 1, 
Joshua assumed the command of the peo- 
ple at Shittim, sent spies into Jericho, 
crossed the Jordan, fortified a camp at 
Gilgal, circumcised the people, kept the 
passover, and was visited by the Captain 
of the Lord's Host. The miraculous fall 
of Jericho terrified the Canaanites. In the 
great battle of Beth-horon the Amorites 
were signally routed, and the south coun- 
try was open to the Israehtes. Joshua re- 
turned to the camp at Gilgal, having con- 
quered half of Palestine. He defeated the 
Canaanites under Jabin king of Hazor. 
In six years six tribes, with 31 petty chiefs, 
were conquered. Joshua, now stricken in 
years, proceeded to make the division of 
the conquered land. Timnath-serah in 
Mount Ephraim was assigned as Joshua's 
peculiar inheritance. After an interval of 
rest, Joshua convoked an assembly from all 
Israel. He dehvered two solemn addresses, 
recorded in Josh, chaps. 23, 24. He died 
at the age of 110 years, and was buried in 
his own city, Timnath-serah. Joshua's 
character is a very noble one ; and few 
blemishes are found in it. The favored 
disciple of Moses, he learned to be faithful 
to the Lord God. Once, indeed, he was too 
jealous for what he conceived to be Mo- 
ses' honor. Num. 11 : 28, 29. He was gen- 
erally bold and fearless, though an unex- 
pected check at one time dispirited him. 
But, with these small exceptions, an able 
commander, a wise ruler, a faithful servant 
of the Lord, Joshua shines as a bright star 
among the noble worthies of Old Testament 
history. 2. An inhabitant of Beth-she- 
mesh, in whose land was the stone at which 
the milch-kine stopped when they drew 
the ark of God with the offerings of the 
PhiUstines from Ekron to Beth-shemesh. 
1 Sam. 6 : 14, 18, B. c. 1124. 3. A governor 
of the city who gave his name to a gate of 
Jerusalem, 2 Kings 23 : 8, in the reign of 
Josiah, B. c. 628. 4. Jeshua the son of Joza- 
dak. Hag. 1 : 14 ; 2:2; Zech. 3 : 1, etc. 

Josiah (jo-sl'ah), whom Jehovah heals. 
One of the pious kings of Judah. He 
reigned 31 years, b. c. '640-610. He as- 
cended the throne at the early age of eight 
years, and before his eighteenth year he had 
cut off and destroyed all the idols of the 
land, with their temples, groves, and mon- 
uments ; and had ransacked the sepulchres 
of the idolatrous priests, and burned their 
bones upon the altars, in accordance with 
the prophecy of the man of God, announced 
in the presence of Jeroboam 326 years be- 
fore Josiah was born. 1 Kings 13 : 2 ; 2 
Kings 22 : 1, 2 ; 2 Chron. 34 : 1, 2. In the 
prosecution of the thorough repair and pu- 
rification of the temple, Hilkiah "found 
the book of the Law of the Lord by Mo- 
ses." Josiah immediately convoked the 



whole realm, and in person read the book 
of the Law to them, and exacted from 
them a promise to obey it. 2 Kings 22 : 8- 
20 -, 2 Chron. 34 : 14-33. The Scythians are 
supposed to have invaded Palestine be- 
tween the thirteenth and the eighteenth 
year of his reign. Josiah was mortally 
wounded at Megiddo, and died at Jerusa- 
lem. Jeremiah the prophet was greatly 
affected by it, and composed an elegy on 
the occasion, 2 Chron. 35 : 25, and all those 
accustomed to celebrate in song the worth 
and achievements of men of great emi- 
nence, both men and women, mourned for 
Josiah for ages after his death. Indeed, 
the mourning was such as to become pro- 
verbial. Zech. 12 : 11. He was only 39 
years of age when he died. 

Jot, the Enghsh form of the Greek iota, 
i. e., the smallest letter of the Greek alpha- 
bet. The Hebre w2/od, or y formed somewhat 
like a comma ('). It is used metaphorically 
to express the minutest thing. 

J o t h a m (jo'tham), Jehovah is upright, 
1. The youngest son of Gideon, Judg. 9 : 5, 
who escaped from the massacre of his 
brethren. His parable of the reign of the 
bramble is the earliest example of the kind, 
Judg. 9 : 7-21. 2. The son of king Uzziah 
or Azariah and Jerushah. After ruhng the 
Jdngdom for some years during his father's 
leprosy, he succeeded to the throne b. c. 
758, when he was 25 years old, and reigned 
16 years in Jerusalem. He was contempo- 
rary with Pekah and with the prophet Isa- 
iah. His history is contained in 2 Kings 15 
and 2 Chron. 27. 

Journeyings of Israel. Num. 9 : 17- 
23. See Exodus, Sinai, and Wilderness 
of the Wanderings, and Table in Ap- 
pendix. 

Jubilee. Lev. 25. A festal year pre- 
scribed by the Hebrew law. It recurred 
every fiftieth year, after seven Sabbaths of 
years — not being, as some have supposed, 
the seventh sabbatical year— marking off a 
great cycle of time, so that at each half 
century the Israelitish polity began, as it 
were, afresh ; a new morning of holy grat- 
ulation and recovered strength dawning 
on the land. All Hebrew servants were 
set free, pledges of lands, personal prop- 
erty rights aUenated for any reason, were 
restored, there being only one exception — 
that of houses built in walled towns. Lev. 
25 : 29-31. All were to be put back, as far 
as possible, into the position in which they 
began the 50 years. The account of this 
institution, which had its type in the 
weekly Sabbath, is carefully given in the 
law. Lev. 25:8-16, 23-55. The jubilee 
commenced on the tenth day of the sev- 
enth month, and was proclaimed through 
the whole country. It was to be a year 
when, as in the sabbatical year, the land 
lay untilled ; nor was there any formal 
gathering of its spontaneous produce, which 
was to be absolutely free to all comers. It 
has been disputed whether the law of the 
jubilee ever came into full operation. 
Little is directly recorded: but tnere are 
several allusions to it. Num. 36 : 4 ; Isa. 61 : 
1, 2 ; Ezek. 7 ; 12, 13 ; 46 : 16-18. No d5ubt, 

131 



JUD^A 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY JUDAH, TERRITORY OP 



like other commandments of the law, it 
was neglected in days of declension and 
apostasy. It must have pointed forward 
also to that future state of glorious spiritual 
freedom, where the inheritance of each re- 
deemed one is his forever, no forfeitiixe of 
his high privileges to he dreaded in God's 
eternal kingdom. 

Judaea {ju-de'ah), or Judea, Province 
of. A name apphed to that part of Canaan 
occupied hy those who returned after the 
Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, The 
word first occurs, Dan. 5 : 13 (A. V. "Jew- 
ry"), and the first mention of the "prov- 
ince of Judeea" (R. Y. '-Judah") is in 
Ezra 5:8; it is alluded to in Neh. 11 : 3 (A. 
V. "Judah"); in the Apocrj-pha the word 
"province" is dropped, and throughout it 
and in the New Testament the expressions 
are the " land of Judsea " and " Judsea." In 
a wider and more improper sense "Judsea " 
was sometimes apphed to the whole coun- 
try of the Canaanites, its ancient inhabit- 
ants, and even in the gospels we read of 
the coasts of Judsea "bevond Jordan." 
Matt. 19 :1 ; Mark 10 : 1. Judsea was strictly 
the southern district, west of the Jordan, and 
south of Samaria. It was made a portion 
of the Roman province of Syria after Arch- 
elaus was deposed, a. d. 6," and was gov- 
erned by a procurator, who was subject to 
the governor of Syria. See Canaan, Pal- 
estine, and Judah. 

Judsea, the Hill Country of. The 
centml ridge of mountains stretching from 
north to south, and forming as it were the 
backbone of the land of Palestine. Luke 
1:65. 

Judaea, "Wilderness of. A wild and 
desolate region extending from the hiU- 
country near Jerusalem southeast to the 
Dead Sea, and averaging about 15 miles in 
breadth. Matt. 3:1. It is a limestone coun- 
tn,', rough and barren, ^vith only patches 
of grass. It seems never to have had many 
inhabitants, and no cities. The traditional 
scene of the temptation of Christ is in this 
district, on a high mountain behind Jeri- 
cho, very desolate, and no^v infested 
with beasts and reptiles. See Matt. 4:1; 
Mark 1 : 13. 

Judah (ju'dah), praise. 1. The fourth 
son of Jacob and Leah, was bom in Meso- 
potamia. Gen. 29 : 35. The name was 
given as an expression of the mother's grat- 
itude. We know more of him than of the 
other patriarchs except Joseph, whose hfe 
he saved, advising the sale. Gen. 37 : 26- 
28. His marriage, an incident in his son's 
life, and his intrigue -with Tamar are record- 
ed in Gen. 38. Judah became the surety for 
the safety of Benjamin on the second join-- 
ney to Egypt. Gen. 43 : 3-10. His conduct 
is worthy of all praise, and his plea for 
Benjamin's hbertj' is one of the most touch- 
ing speeches in the Bible. Gen. 44 : 14-34. 
He went down into Egvpt wath three sons. 
Gen. 46 : 12. The tribe of Judah was al- 
ways large and prominent, vying with 
Ephraim for the supremacy. The prophetic 
blessing which his father pronounced on 
Judah, Gen. 49 : 8-12, is very remarkable. 
It describes the warhke character and grad- 

132 



uallv increasing strength of the tribe, com p. 
Num. 2:3; Josh. 14 : 11 ; 15 : 1 ; Judg. 
1 : 1, 2 ; 1 Chron. 14 : 17 ; Ps. 18 : 40 ; Isa. 29 : 

1 (where its capital is called Ariel, " hon of 
God ") ; Rev. 5:5; the duration of its power 
—yiz., "until the coming of Christ, when 
Judsea became a province of Rome, comp. 
Luke 2:1-7; John 18 : 31 : Acts 5 : 37 ; and 
the destrucrion of their city, a. d. 70, when 
the Christian dispensation had become es- 
tablished, compare Matt. 24 : 14 ; Acts 2:8; 
Rom. 10 : 18, in the glory and tritmiph of 
the Messiah. 

Judah, the Kingdom of. The kingdom 
of Judah embraced not only the territory 
of the tribe of Judah (see below), but also 
included the larger part of Benjamin on 
the northeast, Dan on the northwest, and 
Simeon on the south. The area thus under 
the dominion of Judah is estimated at 3435 
square miles. Besides this, Edom, subdued 
by David, continued faithful to Judah for 
a time, and the Red Sea ports furnished an 
outlet for commerce. 

The family of David furnished all the 19 
kings of Judah, but the eldest son did not 
always succeed. Judah outlasted Israel 
135 years. After the division of the king- 
dom', B. c. 975, Judah maintained its sepa- 
rate existence for 389 years, until b. c. 5^6. 
During this period there were 19 rulers, all 
of the hneage of David, except Athaliah. 
During the first three reigns Israel and Ju- 
dah were in an attitude of hostihty. Israel 
under Jeroboam was signally defeated. 2 
Chron. 13. Later, an alliance was formed 
by the marriage of Jehoshaphat's son with 
Ahab's daughter, Athahah, 1 Kings 22 ; 2 
Chron. 18, who usurped the crown. The 
two kingdoms combined against Syna,. 
The two great foes of Judah were Egypt 
on the south and Assyria on the east. 
From Egypt came Shishak, who humbled 
Judah, 2 Chron. 12 : 2-12 ; Zerah, whose 
million of men were routed by king Asa, 

2 Chron. 14 : 9-12 : and Josiah was slain at 
Megiddo. 2 Chron. 35 : 23. The children 
of Ammon, ]SIoab, and Mount Seir also in- 
vaded Judah during Jehoshaphat's reign, 
but they only destroyed one another. 2 
Chron. 20 : 22-25. The armies of Assyria 
met with varied fortune. Tiglath-pileser 
distressed Judah during the reign of Ahaz, 
2 Chron. 28 :20 ; Sennacherib's' host of 185,- 
000 men was destroyed by the angel of the 
Lord in Hezekiah's" reign, 2 Chron. 32 : 21 ; 
2 Kings 19 : 35 ; Manasseh was carried away 
captive into Babylon, 2 Chron. 33 : 11 ; Je- 
hoiachin was also made captive ; Zedekiah 
rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and was 
defeated, his sons slain before his eyes, and 
he made captive ; Jerusalem was taken in 
B. c. 586, and the history of the kingdom of 
Judah was ended. 

Judah, Territory of. Extent. — The 
district assigned to the tribe of Judah in 
the Promised Land, with its cities, is de- 
scribed in Josh. 15. It extended across the 
whole of Western Palestine, from the Dead 
Sea on the east to the Mediterranean on 
the west. The average extent of this dis- 
trict was 50 miles from east to west and 
45 miles from north to south, and its area 



JUDAS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



JUDGES 



about half that of the State of Connecticut. 
A portion of this territory was subsequently 
cut oflF for Simeon, which thus became the 
frontier tribe on the south. Josh. 19 : 1-9. 
A portion of the northwestern part was 
also given to Dan. Comp. vs. 40-48 . 

The territory of Judah comprised four 
regions quite distinct in physical features : 

1. The south country, or Negeb, where the 
fertile land shaded oflF into the wilderness. 

2. The valley, plain, or Shefelah, lying be- 
tween the Mediterranean and the central 
hill-country. Josh. 15 : 33-47. ThisAvasan 
exceedingly fertile country, occupied by 
the Philistines, who constantly disputed 
possession. 3. The hill-country, occupying 
the central range of mountains. Josh. 15 : 
48-60. This region was favorable for the 
oUve and vine. 4. The wilderness, sloping 
from the central hills to the Dead Sea, at 
which it terminates in precipitous cUffs, 
Josh. 15 : 61, 62. This barren tract has evi- 
dently been uncultivated and uninhabited 
from the remotest times, for here alone, of 
all Palestine, are found no traces of the 
ruins of former cities. An exception must 
be made of the fringe of the Dead Sea, 
where were six cities. Josh. 15 : 21-62. 

Judas iju'das). 1. The son of Jacob, 
"Judah" in R. V. Matt. 1:2,3. 2. The 
faithless apostle who betrayed his master. 
Matt. 10 : 4 ; Mark 3 : 19 ; Luke 6 : 16. He 
was Simon's son, John 6 : 71, and is called 
Ifioariot, probably from his birthplace, per- 
hap from Kerioth in Judah, Josh. 15 : 25, 
or from Kartan, or Kartah, in Galilee. Josh. 
21 : 32, 34, Of this man's earlier life we 
know nothing, nor for what reason he was 
induced to follow Jesus. Why our Lord 
appointed Judas an apostle, the sacred nar- 
rative does not tell us. Jesus knew and 
expressed his knowledge of Iscariot's char- 
acter. John 6 : 64, 70, 71. In calling 
him our Lord acted only in accordance 
with the general administration of his 
kingdom. This is illustrated by one of his 
parables. Matt. 13 : 24-30 ; and it is no more 
than we continually see, — ungodly men in 
place and power, both in the world and in 
the church, with gifts which they abuse 
and responsibilities which increase their 
condemnation. It has often been a puzzle 
to those who did not understand the moral 
government of God, comp. Ps. 73 ; but he 
will eventually vindicate his wisdom and 
his justice. Meanwhile valuable lessons 
of warning and circumspection are taught 
by the fate of such as have perverted their 
privileges to their own ruin. Judas main- 
tained a fair character among his fellow- 
apostles, and was entrusted with the cus- 
tody of their money, John 12 : 6 ; 13 : 29 ; 
nor do they seem to have suspected him 
even when our Lord was distinctly warn- 
ing them that one of their number would 
betray him. Matt. 26 : 21-24 ; John 13 : 22. 
This was Judas' question to the priests : 
"What will ye give me?" Matt. 26:15. 
Satan espied his opportunity and took it. 
Luke 22 : 3. Probably Judas began to see 
that he was suspected, and, when the Lord 
in answer to his hypocritical question, had 
distinctly told him of his treason, full of 



additional passion, he went recklessly about 
his work. Matt. 26 : 25 ; John 13 : 26-80, 
He was fulfilling prophecy, but was uncon- 
scious of it. His own evil heart it was that 
prompted him ; and therefore the guilt of 
his deed was upon himself When con- 
fronted with the results of his base treach- 
ery, he was seized with remorse, returned 
the bribe, and hanged himself 3, One de- 
scribed as one of the Lord's brethren, Matt. 
13 : 55, called also Juda, Mark 6 : 3 A, V. 
An interesting story is related of his family 
by Eusebius, The emperor Domitian was 
alarmed by what he had heard of Messiah's 
kingdom, and ordered some of the descend- 
ants of the house of David to be sought out 
and brought to him. Those so presented 
to the emperor were the grandsons of Ju- 
das ; but tne hardness of their hands, prov- 
ing that they were but ordinary peasants, 
and their description of the spintual na- 
ture of the new sovereignty, removed all 
apprehensions. They were let go, and Uved 
on, honored as the Lord's relatives, into the 
reign of Trajan. 4. A brother of James, 
and one of the apostles ; called also Thad- 
daeus and Lebbseus. Matt. 10 : 3 ; Mark 
3 : 18 ; Luke 6 : 16 ; John 14 : 22 ; Acts 1 : 
13 ; Matt. 13 : 55. 5. Judas of Galilee, a 
leader of an insurrection " in the days of 
taxing " — i. e., the census— a. d. 6, and who, 
according to Gamaliel, was very successful 
for a time, but was ultimately completely 
defeated. Acts 5 : 37. We find in Josephus 
an allusion to a man, who is there said to 
have been born in the city of Gamala in 
Gaulanitis, and to have been the founder 
of a new sect, which did not differ from 
that of the Pharisees save in a fanatical 
love of liberty and refusal to support the 
Roman state. 6. The one whose house in 
Straight street, Damascus, sheltered Paul 
during his blindness. Acts 9:11, 17. This 
Judas may have kept an inn ; it is unlikely 
that he was a disciple. 7. Judas, surnamed 
Barsabas, a " chief man among the breth- 
ren," a "prophet," who was chosen along 
with Paul and Barnabas and Silas to carry 
the decisions of the council of Jerusalem, 
A. D. 50, to Antioch. Acts 15 : 22-33. 

Jiide (jude), Epistle of. It is referred 
to by Clement of Alexandria, TertulUan, 
and'Origen. It was probably written in 
Palestine, about a. d. 65. This epistle seems 
to have been intended to gnard the faith- 
ful against prevalent errors, and to urge 
them to constancy in the faith. It is not 
improbable that Peter had read Jude's 
epistle, when he wrote his Second epistle ; 
and that the thoughts, under the influence 
of the Holy Spirit, had made a strong im- 
pression upon his mind. 

Judges. The judges were rulers sent of 
God to deliver the Israelites from their op- 
pressors. Their power extended over por- 
tions of the country only, and some of them . 
were contemporaneous. Their chief work 
was that of deliverers and captains in war. 
While Samuel as a judge gave something 
like a settled government to the south, 
there was scope for the irregular exploits 
of Samson on the borders of the Philistines. 
Samuel at last established his authority as 

133 



Judges, book of 



PEOPLE'S DICTIOXASY 



JTSTTFICATION 



judge and prophet, but still as the servant ' 
of Jehovah, only to see it so abused by his 
sons as to exhaust the patience of the "peo- 
ple, who at length demanded a ling, after 
the partem of the surrounding nations. 
The following is a partial list of the judges, 
and the approximate length of their rule : 
First oppression, by Mesopotamia — S years. 
First juage : Othniel — iO years. Second op- 
pression, by Moab — IS years. Second judge : 
Ehud — 50 years : third judge : Sham gar — 
untnown. Third oppression, by Jabin and 
Sisera — 20 years. Fourth judge : Deborah 
and Barak-— iO years. Fourth oppression, 
by Midian — 7 years. Fifth judge : Gideon 
-^ years ; sixth judge : Abimelech — 3 
years' seventh judge: Tola — 23 years; 
eighth judge : Jair— 22 years. Fifth op- 
pression, by Ammon — ^18 years. Xinth judge: 
Jephthah-^ years ; tenth judge : Tbzan — 7 
years : eleventh judge : Elon — ^10 years : 
twelfth judge : Abion--S years. Sixth op- 
pression, by the Philistines — iO years. Thir- 
teenth judge : Samson — 20 years : four- 
teenth judge: Eli — 10 years; fifteenth 
judge : SamueL 

Judges, Book of, derives its title from 
the fact that it gives us the history of the 
Israehtes under the administration of 15 
Judges, viz.. frcim 18 or 20 years after the 
death of Joshua to the time" of SauL The 
chronology is uncenain. This book has 
been well 'styled a commentary upon the 
text: "Righteousness exalteth" a nation; 
but sin is a reproach to any people." Prov. 
14 : -Si It may be divided' into two parts : 
1. Chaps, S-16, an account of, God's suc- 
cessive deliverances : 2. Chaps. 17-21, an 
account, detached from the preceding and 
out of chronological order, of the inv'asion 
of Laish by the Danites. in connection with 
the story of ^licah and his priest, Jonathan, 
chaps. 17-18; and an account of the re- 
venge of the insult to the Levite, chaps. 
19-21. the whole prefaced with an introduc- 
tion, chaps. 1-3. The book is quite evi- 
dently a compilation from existent and 
trustwonhy materials. Its date is uncer- 
tain. 

Judgment, the Day of. God is called 
'• the Judge of all the earth." Gen. IS : 25. 
and il is reasonable to suppose that he will 
righteously administer his dominions. In 
the world ."however, the ungodly are often 
seen to prosper, and the righteous to be op- 
pressed. And this has sometimes griev- 
ously perplexed God's servants, who^have 
not known how to reconcile the fact with his 
holy justice. Ps. 73. Scripture, therefore, 
points onward to a time when all these ap- 
parent anomalies will be explained, when 
a great assize vnll sit. and a just recompense 
of reward will be meted out to men. EccL 
11 : 9 ; 12 : 14 ; Acts 24 : 25. This judgment. 
we are told, shall be exercised bv Christ. 
Acts 10 : 42 : 17 : 31 ; Rom. 14 : 10. Men might 
be judged either individually, each on his 
departure from the world, or collectively. 
Scripture gives us reason to believe that 
the latter will be the course of God's pro- 
cedure. Man. 25 : 31-46 : Rev. 20 : 12. 13 : 
and a <lay is spoken of, sometimes called 
tiie " la.n'day," John U ;34, gonietiiaes tbe 



"great day," Jude 6, when this shall be. 
The sp-ace" of time to be so occupied it is 
impossible for us to calculate : about the 
nearness or distance of that day it is use- 
less to speculate. Matt. 24 : 36 ; it will be a 
strict and searching iudgment. Matt. 12 : 36, 
so that the practical lesson we have to learn 
is. to be prepared, to judge ourselves, that 
we be not judged and condemned of the 
Lord. 1 John 2: 28 : 4:17. 

Judgement Hall. The word prsdorium 
is so translated five times in the A. V. of 
the New Testament, and in those five pas- 
sages it denotes two different places, 1. In 
John 18 : 28. 33 : 19 : 9. it is the residence, R. 
v., "palace," which Pilate occupied when 
he visited Jerusalem, The site of Pilate's 
prsetorium in Jerusalem has given rise to 
much dispute, some supposing it to be the 
palace of king Herod, others the tower of 
Antonia : but it was probably the laner, 
which was then and long afterw'ard the cita- 
del of Jerusalem. 2. In Acts 23 : 35 Herod's 
judgment hall (R. V. reads palace) or pne- 
torium in Casarea was doubtle^ a part of 
that magnificent range of buildings the 
erection of which by king Herod is de- 
scribed in Josephus. The word " palace," 
or " Caesar's court," in the A. V., Phil. 1 : 
13. R. v., "praetorian." is a translation of 
the same word prsetoriiun. It may here 
have denoted the quaner of that d'etach- 
ment of the praetorian guards which was 
in immediate attendance upon the empe- 
ror, and had barracks in Mount Palatine at 
Rome. 

Julius (ju'U-n? OTjul'yus). A centurion 
of Augrustan Band (which see), under 
whose charge Paul was conveyed to Rome. 
Acts chaper 27, 28. He was cotirteous to 
the apostle, and may be the same with Ju- 
lius Priscus. subsequently prefect of the 
praetorian guards. 

Jumper. Unquestionably, the original 
intends the reiem {Eetama r'setam), a shrub 
of the broom family, attaining a height of 
about 12 feet. Under its shade travellers 
are glad to creep on a sultry day for a noon- 
time nap. and thus Elijah la'y and slept 
after his long journey. 1 Kings 19 : 4, 5. 

Jupiter (Jii'pi-ier). The heathen god 
worshipped by the Greeks under the name 
of Zeus. He "was supposed to exercise su- 
preme ix)wer ; but the actions attributed to 
him were frequently in the highest degree 
sensual and abominable. Antiochus Epiph- 
anes dedicated the temple at Jerusalem 
to this deity as ZeusOlympius. that on Ger- 
izim to him as Zeus Xenius. the " defender 
of strangers." 2 ^tacc. 6:2. He is nvo or • 
three times mentioned in the Xew Testa- 
ment. Acts 14 : 12, 13 : 19 : 35. 

Justification. A term tised to imply 
the declaring or accounting of a person 
just or righteous before God. If any one 
were free" from sin. if he perfectly obeyed 
God's commandments, he wotild really be 
just, not exposed to the pienalty of trans- 
gression. Rom. 2 : 13. But mankind, as 
siiiful. are not just in this sense, and can- 
not be so treated. Ps 143 : 2 : Rom. 3 : 19, 
20. 23 : 1 John 1 : 8. If. then, they are to be 
flreed&omthe coQdemnation of sin, if they 



KAB OR CAB 



OF THE BIBLE. 



KEILAS 



are to be dealt with as those not amenable 
to God's law, it must be not by tlie estab- 
lishment of their innocence, but by the 
remission of their guilt. And it was for 
this that the Lord Jesus Christ came into 
the world, and offered himself a sacrifice 
for sin, that men might be delivered from 
the condemnation into which their sins 
had cast them, Rom. 3 : 24, 25 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 
21 ; 1 John 1:7; 2:2. The Scripture there- 
fore teaches that we are justified by faith 
in Christ. Rom. 3 : 28 ; Gal. 2 : 16. This 
doctrine is thus expressed in the eleventh 
article of the Anglican church : " We are 
accounted righteous before God only for 
the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ by faith, and not for our own works 
or deservings. Wherefore that we are jus- 
tified by faith only is a most wholesome 
doctrine, and very full of comfort." The 
originating cause of justification is God's 
free grace and loving pity for a fallen world. 
John 3 : 16 ; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2 : 4-8. The 
meritorious cause is the sinless life and 
sacrificial death of Christ, Rom. 4 : 25, for 
the virtue of which God could without 
moral fault, or detriment to justice, remit 
sin. The instrumental cause is faith, 
whereby we receive the atonement, ac- 
cepting God's mercy on the terms on which 
he offers it. Rom. 3 : 30 ; 5 : 11. Those who 
are so justified are at peace with God, and 
have all the advantages of such a state of 
reconcihation. Rom. 5 : 1, 2. Justified men 
desire and endeavor to walk in holiness of 
Ufe. Rom. 8 : 1. Gratitude for the mercy 
received will incline them to do that which 
is well pleasing in God's sight. They feel 
that they have been purchased to be his, 
and must glorify him in their body and 
their spirit. 1 Cor. 6 : 20. This will be 
their mark, the token, the proof that they 
are no longer enemies, but friends; not 
sentenced culprits, but beloved children. 
Should any not so walk and act, they can- 
not be God's children. Such a faith as 
theirs, a faith which worketh not by love, 
is empty and useless. Jas. 2 : 17, 26. Abra- 
ham's obedience was the proof that he 
possessed that faith which was counted to 
him for righteousness. Of justification, 
then, it may be briefly said that— 1, its 
source is the grace of God ; 2, its ground 
the mediatorial work of Christ ; 3, faith the 
way by which we receive it ; and, 4, the 
holy life of a believer the evidence of its 
possession ; or, yet more briefly, it is orig- 
inally by grace, meritoriously by Christ, 
instrumentally by faith, evidentially by 
good works, 

K 

Kab or Cab. See Measures. 

Kabzeel {kdb'ze-el), gathered hy God. 
Called Jekabzeel when rebuilt after the 
captivity, Neh. 11 : 25, a city of the tribe of 
Judah, situated farthest to the south, Josh. 
15:21; was the birthplace of Benaiah, the 
son of Jehoiada, 2 Sam. 23 : 20 ; 1 Chron. 
11 : 22. 

Kadesh, SQcrcd, or Kadesli-bamea 



{ka'desh-hdr'ne-ah). A place on the south- 
ern frontier of Canaan. It was "eleven 
days," or about 165 miles, distant from Ho- 
reb, Deut. 1:2: on the border of Edom, 
Num. 20 : 16 ; not far from Gerar, Gen, 20 : 
1 ; to the east of Bered, Gen. 16 : 14 ; in the 
desert of Zin, Num. 20 : 1 ; 27 : 14 ; 33 : 36 ; 
Deut. 32 :51 ; and the point to wMch Che- 
dorlaomer returned, having driven the Ho- 
rites over the Arabah into the Et Tih region, 
and then going northward. Gen. 14 : 7. 
In Scripture it is sometimes called Kadesh 
alone, and sometimes Kadesh-barnea, and 
is identical with Meribah-kadesh, Ezek. 47 : 
19 ; Josh, 15 : 3, 23 ; with En-Mishpat = the 
fountain of judgment. Gen. 14 : 7 ; and with 
Rithmah = the broom. Num. 33 : 18, thus 
called from a shrub growing in the desert. 
Spies were sent into the land of Canaan. 
The people rebelled, and were condemned 
to 40 years sojourn in the wilderness, Num. 
13 : 14, during which time Kadesh seems to 
have been their chief centre. At the end 
of 40 years they encamped again at Kadesh 
for a march to Canaan. Num. 20 : 1. Here 
Miriam died and was buried, and the rock 
was smitten for water. Num. 20 : 1-21, It 
was 40 to 50 miles directly south of Beer- 
sheba. 

Kanab (kd'nah), place of reeds. 1, A 
town in the district of Asher, Josh. 19 : 28 ; 
now a village, 'Ain Kana, six miles south- 
east of Tyre, 2. A river forming the boun- 
dary between Ephraim and Manasseh. Josh. 
16:8; 17:9. 

Kedar {ke'dar), dark-skinned. Secend 
son of Ishmael. Gen. 25 : 13. From him 
descended the leading tribes of Arabia and 
of the land east of Palestine. They and 
the country bear the name of Kedar. Isa. 
21 : 16 ; Jer. 49 : 28. They were nomads, 
Mving in black hair-tents, Son^ of Sol. 1 : 
5, as the modern Bedouins do, or Jn villages, 
Isa. 42 : 11, and were rich in flocks and 
herds, and noted as archers and mighty 
men. 

Kedesh (ke'desh), sanctuary. 1. A town 
on the southern boundary of Judah, Josh. 
15 : 23 ; perhaps identical with Kadesh or 
Kadesh-barnea. 2. A city of Issachar ; as- 
signed to the Gershonite Levites. 1 Chron. 
6 : 72. In the parallel hst. Josh. 21 : 28, its 
name is Kishon. 3. A fortified city belong- 
ing to the tribe of Naphtali; allotted to 
the Gershonite Levites, Josh. 20 : 7 ; 21 : 32 ; 
1 Chron. 6 : 76, and made a city of refuge. 
It was the. residence of Barak, Judg. 4: 6, 
and here Deborah assembled the tribes of 
Zebulon and Naphtah. Judg. 4 : 11. It 
was taken by Tiglath-pileser in the reign 
of Pekah, 2 Kings 15 : 29, and here the bat- 
tle took place between Jonathan Macca- 
bseus and Demetrius. 1 Mace. 11 : 63. Now 
it is a small village, Kades, ten miles north 
of Safed and four miles northwest of Me- 
rom, beautifully situated on a high ridge 
jutting out in the depressed basin through 
which the Jordan flows to the Sea of Me- 
rom. It is surrounded with ruins ; numer- 
ous sarcophagi have been found here. 

K e i 1 a h {kei'lah or keVlah), fortress. A 
city in the lowland of Judah, near the 
PhiUstiae frontier. Josh, 15 ; 44. When 



KENATH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY KmGS, THE BOOKS OF 



captured and plundered by a Philistine in- 
vasion David came to its rescue, but the in- 
habitants treacherously plotted with Saul 
for his betrayal. 1 Sam. 23 : 1-13. After 
the captivity its rulers aided in restoring 
the walls of Jerusalem, Neh. 3 : 17, 18 ; now 
Kila, seven miles east of Beit Jibrin, 

Kenatli (ke'nath), possession. A city of 
Gilead, in the tribe of Manasseh ; captured 
by Nobah, Num. 32 : 42 ; a place of splen- 
dor and importance under Rome ; a Chris- 
tian bishop's see; 20 miles from Bostra; 
now called Kunawat. 

Kenite {ke'nite or k&a'Ue), smith. A tribe 
of Midian, between Palestine and Sinai, 
and east of the Gulf of Akabah. Their 
land was promised to Abraham. Gen. 15 : 
19. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was a 
Kenite. Judg. 1 : 16. They were men- 
tioned in Balaam's prophecy. Num. 24 : 21. 
Part of the tribe joined Israel and Uved 
south of Judah. Judg. 1 : 16. One family 
migrated to the far north. There Heber 
dwelt. Judg. 4 : 11. The Kenites were 
friendly with the Canaanites, Amalekites, 
and IsraeUtes. Saul and David spared 
them in their raids on Amalek on account 
of their former kindness. 1 Sam. 15 : 6 ; 
27 : 10 ; 30 : 29. A family of Kenites came 
of Hemath, father of the house of Rechab. 
1 Chron. 2 : 55. 

Kidron or Cedron, John 18 : 1, A. V., 
{kid'ronoT ke'dron), or Kedron, 2 Sam. 15 : 
23 ; 1 Kings 15 : 13 ; black brook. From a 
Hebrew root signifying "black," not from 
cedars, cedar-brook. It is a small stream, 
dry in summer, but growing into a torrent 
in the rainy season ; rises 13^ miles north- 
west of Jerusalem ; runs in a southeastern 
direction until it reaches the northwestern 
shore of the Dead Sea. Here Athaliah was 
executed, 2 Kings 11 : 16 ; here Maachah's 
idols were burnt, 1 Kings 15 : 13 ; 2 Chron. 
15 : 16 ; and hither the impurities and abom- 
inations of idol-worship were regularly 
carried and destroyed. 2 Chron. 29 : 16 ; 
30 : 14 ; 2 Kings 23 : 4, 6, 12. In the time of 
Josiah it became the common burial-place 
of the city, 2 Kings 23 : 16, and so it is to- 
day. The two events, however, connected 
with it, and which give it its greatest in- 
terest, are David's crossing it on his flight 
from Jerusalem when Absalom rebelled, 2 
Sam. 15 : 23, 30 ; and Christ's crossing it on 
his way to Gethsemane. John 18 : 1 ; Mark 
14 : 26 ; Luke 22 : 39. As Caesar crossed the 
Rubicon for the mihtary conquest of the 
world, so Christ crossed the Kedron for the 
salvation of the world. 

Kingdom of God, of Christ, of 
Heaven. These terms describe: 1, a life 
of righteous allegiance to Christ, entered 
by faith, lived by love, and crowned with 
glory. Matt. 6 : 33, etc. ; 2, the condition of 
things Christ came to explain, Luke 1 : 33 
Acts 1 : 3, and to bring on earth, Matt. 4 
17 ; 3, Christ's rule over Israel, Matt. 21 : 13 
4, the rule that God offered or committed 
to Israel, Matt. 21 : 43 ; 1 Chron. 17 : 14 ; 5, 
the state of things in the history of the 
church during the conflict on earth of the 
so-called kingdom of grace, preparatory to 
the kingdom of glory, Matt. 13 ; 6, Christ's 
136 



rule in spiritual and eternal righteousness 
over the redeemed earth, Rev. 12 : 10, in 
contrast with the world-powers, Dan. 7 : 
18; then the kingdom will destroy and 
take the place of the four monarchies, 
Dan. 7, and have its glorious manifestation ; 

7, the visible glory of Christ, Matt. 16 : 28 ; 

8, the rule of God the Father over earth 
and heaven. Matt. 6 : 10 ; 9, the heavenly 
state. Matt. 8 : 11. The kingdom of God 
is perfectly estabhshed in the heavens. 
Matt. 6 : 10. The power and glory of the 
divine kingdom are shown in a measure in 
creation and providence. From the moral 
kingdom the earth has revolted. God re- 
estabUshed it in Israel, taking the king- 
ship himself. Ex. 19 : 6 ; Hos. 13 : 10. He 
made the kingship visible in David, 1 Sam. 
16, and permanent in his family. Ps. 89 : 
20, 28, 36. The kingdom ceased as a visible 
power, with the loss of its inner spirit, 
when the nation lapsed and persisted in 
idolatry. The prophets foretold its restora- 
tion, Dan. 12 : 7-13 ; Ps. 2 ; Isa. 2 ; Mic. 4 ; 
Jer. 23 : 5 ; Ezek. 34 : 23 ; John the Baptist 
came to announce it. Matt. 3:2. Jesus 
Christ preached it. Matt. 4 : 17 ; explained 
its character and demands, as, for instance, 
that its citizens must be holy, meek, Christ- 
like, etc., that when established it will be 
a condition of peace, purity, and glory, 
Matt. 25 : 34 ; Mark 9 : 47 ; Acts 14 : 22 ; 
Christ came as the King to Jerusalem, Luke 
19 : 38 ; comp. Luke 1 : 32, but was rejected, 
and took the kingdom from Israel. Matt. 
21 : 43. He taught its mysteries to the dis- 
ciples, especially after his resurrection. 
Acts 1:3; and sent them forth to preach 
it. He declared that the time of its mani- 
festation was known only to the Father. 
Acts 1:7. He laid the foundations of it on 
the day of Pentecost by the outi)ouring of 
the Holy Spirit, and rules it from his throne 
in heaven. The disciples went everywhere 
preaching the word of grace, 1 Thess. 2 : 
12, and persuading men to enter the king- 
dom by faith and holiness. Acts 8 : 12 ; 20 : 
25 ; 28 : 23. The kingdom is to be fully 
manifested at the coming of Christ, the 
Son of man. 2 Tim. 4:1; Dan. 7 : 13 ; Matt. 
13 : 43 ; Luke 22 : 29. At " the end " Christ 
is to deliver up to the Father the mediato- 
rial kingdom that he received at his ascen- 
sion, Eph. 1 : 20, after having reigned and 
put down all rule, authority, and power, 
and all enemies under his feet, 1 Cor. 15 : 
24 ; and the kingdom of God, without dis- 
tinction of persons, shall be complete and 
forever. Heb. 1 : 8. The members of the 
" invisible church " are citizens of the king- 
dom of heaven. 

Kings, the Books of. In the Hebrew 
canon they formed one book, as did the 
books of Samuel, which were also called 
books of the Kings. The two books of 
Kings deal especially with the theocratic 
promise of 2 Sam. 7 : 12 ; see 1 Kings 14 : 7- 
11 ; 15 : 29 ; 16 : 1-7 ; and treat the history 
from the kingly side, and show the evil of 
schism and the worship of idols set up for 
political reasons, as bv Solomon, 1 Kings 
11, and Jeroboam, 1 Kings 12 : 26. The 
reign of Solomon is described, with a mi- 



Km 



OF THE BIBLE. 



KORAH 



nute account of the glorious temple and 
the royal houses. The story of the revolt 
of the larger part of the land to form the 
kingdom of Israel follows, and of the fre- 
quent changes of dynasty, no less than 
seven, which furnished 19 kings, every one 
evil, during the 253 years of its existence. 
Captivity of the best of the land closed the 
history of this kingdom. The same books 
also show that David's royal house contin- 
ued unbroken through a series of 19 kings, 
reigning in Jerusalem about 130 years 
longer, till Judah was punished for its 
idolatry. See list of kings and prophets in 
Appendix. 

The author cannot be identified. An- 
cient tradition in the Talmud names Jere- 
miah ; some have supposed them compiled 
by Ezra or Baruch. The books, originally 
one, have a very marked unity of design, 
plan, and style, and were first divided in 
the Septuagint. They are in large measure 
a compilation from existent documents. 
They have always had a place in the Jew- 
ish canon. The concise narrative is illus- 
trated, enlarged, and confirmed by the 
books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. This his- 
tory is referred to in the New Testament, 
Luke 4 : 25 ; Acts 7 :47 ; Rom. 11 : 2 ; Jas. 5 : 
17, and modern research is continually 
bringing new evidence to the truth of the 
history. 

Kir ijcir), waU, or place surrounded with 
walls. The city from which the Syrians 
emigrated when they came to settle in the 
region north of Palestine, and to which 
Tiglath-pileser sent the captive Syrians 
after the conquest of Damascus. 2 Kings 
16 : 9 ; Amos 1:5; 9:7. About the location 
of this city scholars disagree, some placing 
it in Armenia, on the river Kar ; others 
identifying it with Carena, or Carna, in 
Media. 

Kir-haraseth (kir'hdr'a-sUh), brick for- 
tress, 2 Kings 3 : 25 A.V. ; or Kir-hareseth, 
Isa. 16 : 7 ; or Kir-haresh {kir-hd'resh), Isa. 
16 : 11 A. V. ; or Kir-heres {kir-he'res), Jer. 
48 : 31, 36 ; or simply Kir of Moab, Isa. 15 : 
1. A strong fortress in Moab, situated near 
the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea. It 
is now called Kerak. 

Kirjath.-arba {kir'jath-dr'hah) , R. V. , 
Kiriath-arba. The city of Arba, Arba being 
its founder, or the city of Four — Abraham, 
Isaac, Jacob, and Adam having been buried 
there — is mentioned Gen. 23 : 2 ; 35 : 27 ; 
Josh. 14 : 15 : 15 : 13, 54 ; 20 : 7 ; 21 : 11 ; Judg. 
1 : 10; Neh. 11 : 25. SeeHebron and 
MaiTire. 

Kirjath-jearim (kir'jath-je'a-rim), R. V., 
kiriath-jearim, the city of woods. One of 
the four cities of the Gibeonites, Josh. 9 : 
17, situated on the border of Judah and 
Benjamin, Josh. 15 : 9 ; 18 : 14, 15, but be- 
longing to Judah, Josh. 15 : 60 ; Judg. 18 : 
12 ; was also called Baalah, Josh. 15 : 9, 10, 
or Baale of Judah, 2 Sam. 6 : 2, or Kirjath- 
baal. Hither the ark was brought from 
Beth-shemesh, 1 Sam. 6 : 21 ; 7 : 1, 2, and 
here it remained until it was removed by 
David. 1 Chron. 13 : 5 ; 2 Chron. 1 : 4. The 

Jrophet Urijah, who was put to death by 
ehoiakim, Jer. 26 : 20, was bom here, and 



after the captivity the people of the city 
returned in numbers to it. Neh. 7 : 29. 

Kishon (ki'shon), bending, curved, or in 
one place, Ps. 83 : 9, Kison {kl'son), the 
present Nahr Mukutta, a river which drains 
the plain of Esdraelon, passes through the 
plain of Acre, and falls into the Mediterra- 
nean. Only the lower part of it is peren- 
nial, fed by some springs at the foot of 
Mount Carmel. The upper part, rising on 
Tabor and Little Hermon, is dry in the 
summer, but becomes a torrent in the win- 
ter, rushing along with great impetuosity 
and transforming parts of the plains it 
traverses into swamps. The total defeat 
of Sisera, Judg. 4:7; 5 : 21, and the execu- 
tions of the idol-priests by Elijah, 1 Kings 
18 : 40, took place on the shores of this 
river. 

Kiss. Kissing the lips in salutation was 
customary among near relatives of both 
sexes. Gen. 29 : 11 ; Song of Sol. 8 : 1. Be- 
tween individuals of the same sex, and in 
a limited degree between those of different 
sexes, the kiss on the cheek as a mark of 
respect or an act of salutation has at all 
times been customary in the East. In the 
Christian Church the kiss of charity was 
practiced not only as a friendly salutation, 
but as an act symbolical of love and Chris- 
tian brotherhood. Rom. 16 : 16 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 
20 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 12 ; 1 Thess. 5 : 26 ; 1 Pet. 5 : 
14. Among the Arabs the women and 
children kiss the beards of their husbands 
or fathers. The superior returns the salute 
by a kiss on the forehead. In Egypt an 
inferior kisses the hand of a superior, gen- 
erally on the back, but sometimes, as a spe- 
cial favor, on the palm also. Kissing is 
spoken of in Scripture as a mark of respect 
or adoration to idols. 1 Kings 19 : 18 ; Hos. 
13:2. 

Knop. An ornament of the golden can- 
dlestick, Ex. 25 : 31 ; 37 : 17, and elsewhere, 
probably formed hke a pomegranate. Also 
a carved ornament of the cedar-work of 
the temple, and the molten sea, 1 Kings 6 : 
18 ; 7 : 24, perhaps Uke wild gourds or cu- 
cumbers. 

Kohath (kd'hath), assembly. One of the 
three sons of Levi, from whom the three 
principal divisions of the Levites derived 
their origin and their name. Gen. 46 : 11 ; 
Ex. 6 : 16. In the joumeyings of the taber- 
nacle the sons of Kohath (Kohathites) had 
charge of the most holy portions of the 
vessels. Num. 4. Of the personal history 
of Kohath we know nothing, except that 
he came down to Egypt with Levi and Ja- 
cob, Gen. 46 : 11 ; that his sister was Joche- 
bed, Ex. 6 : 20, and that he Uved to the age 
of 133 years. Ex. 6 : 18. 

Korali {ko'rah), ice or baldness. 1. Sec- 
ond son of Esau and Ahohbamah, a prince 
of Edom. Gen. 36 : 5, 14, 18. 2. A son of 
Hebron, tribe of Judah. 1 Chron. 2 : 43. 3. 
A Levite who rebelled against Moses and 
Aaron. He was a cousin of Moses, for 
their fathers Izhar and Amram were broth- 
ers. Ex. 6 : 16-21. Korah and the 250 Le- 
vites whom he had enticed to join him 
were destroyed by fire from the Lord ; while 
Dathan and Abiram were swallowed by the 

137 



LABAN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



LAMP 



miraculous opening of the eartti. Num. 16 ; 
Ps. 106 : 17, 18 ; Jude 11. But Korah's cliil- 
dren escaped, Num. 26 : 11 ; and the Korah- 
ites, or " sons of Korah," were a cele- 
brated family of doorkeepers, singers, and 
poets in the time of David. 1 Chron. 9 : 17- 
19 ; 26 : 1 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 19. To them are in- 
scribed several psalms. Ps. 42, 44-49, 84, 
85, 87, 88. 



L.aban {Whan), white. 1. Son of Bethuel, 
brother of Rebekah and father of Leah 
and Rachel. The elder branch of Abram's 
family remained at Haram, in Mesopota- 
mia, when Abraham removed to the land 
of Canaan. There Laban was, and took 
the leading part in the betrothal of his 
sister Rebekah to Isaac, Gen. 24^10, 29- 
60 ; 27 : 43 ; 29 : 5. Laban again appears as 
the host of his nephew Jacob at Haran. 
Gen. 29 : 13, 14. Jacob married Rachel and 
Leah, daughters of Laban, and remained 
with him 20 3^ears. But Laban's conduct 
toward his nephew shows from what source 
Jacob inherited his tendency to sharp deal- 
ing. Nothing is said of Laban after Jacob 
parted from him. 

I.achisli (Id'kish), invincible. A citj^ of the 
Amorites, lying south of Jeinisalem, and 
toward the border of Simeon. Josh. 10 ; 3. 
It was one of the Canaanitish cities which 
was subdued by Joshua and included in 
Judah ; fortified by Jeroboam. 2 Chron. 
11 : 9. King Amazi'ah was killed there. 2 
Kings 14 : 19. Lachish was besieged by 
Sennacherib and perhaps taken. 2 Kings 
18 : 13, 14 ; Isa. 36 : 1, 2. The siege is consid- 
ered by some to be depicted on the slabs 
found "in one of the chambers of the palace 
at Kouyunjik. Lachish has lately (1892) 
been identified with Tel-el-Hissy "on the 
Mediterranean Sea, where remarkable tab- 
lets, records, and letters of the king of La- 
chish have been found, written before the 
exodus. 

Lamb. Ex. 12 : 3. The young of the 
sheep, though the original word means also 
the kid or young of the goat ; and by the 
Jewish law it is expressly provided tha"t the 
sacrifice at the passover might be a lamb, 
either of the sheep or goat. Ex. 12 : 5. 
Sundrjf peculiar enactments are contained 
in the same law, respecting the quahties of 
the animal. Ex. 22 : 30 ; 23 : 19 ; Lev. 22 : 
27. The prophet represents Christ as a 
lamb led to the slaughter, Isa. 53 : 7, and 
the same figure is employed by John the 
Baptist. John 1 : 29, 36. It expresses the 
meekness and gentleness of Christ, and 
designates him as the great sacrifice for 
sin. Throughout the Scriptures, from the 
beginning to the end, the lamlD and the 
sacrifice of a lamb are used as a typ^ of the 
Lord Jesus Christ and of his blood shed for 
our sins. In the Revelation he is expressly 
called "The Lamb" 27 times. He is rep- 
resented as now standing in the midst of the 
throne of God, as a " Lamb as it had been 
slain, ha\'ing seven horns, and seven eyes, 
which are the seven spiidts of God." "And 

138 



they sung a new song sajdng, Thou art 
worthy to take the book, and to open the 
seals thereof : for thou wast slain, and hast 
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of 
every kindred, and tongue, and people, 
and nation, and hast made us unto our 
God kings and priests." " And every crea- 
ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, 
and under the earth, and such as are in the 
sea, and all that are in them, heard I say- 
ing. Blessing, and honor, and gloiy, and 
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the 
throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and 
ever." Rev. 5 : 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 ; 6 : 1, 16 ; 7 : 9, 
10, 14, 17 ; 12 : 11 ; 13 : 8 ; 17 : 14 ; 21 : 9, 22, 
23, 27, etc. See Sheep. 

Liamecli {Id'mek), strong. 1. The fifth 
descendant from Cain, the first polygamist, 
father of Jabal, Jubal, the inventor of mu- 
sical instnunents, and Tubal-cain, the 
worker of metals. He was the author of 
the earhest poetry extant, in which he ad- 
dresses his wives on account of having 
slain a man. Gen. 4 : 18-24. 2. Son of Me- 
thusaleh and father of Noah. Gen. 5 : 25, 
31 ; 1 Chron. 1:3; Luke 3 : 36. 

iiamentations of Jeremiah. Con- 
tents. — The lamentations are an elegaic 
poem on the destruction of Jerusalem and 
Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. The book con- 
sists of five separate poems, each complete 
in itself. The poetical form of this compo- 
sition is a ver>' elaborate alphabetical struc- 
ture. The first four chapters are acrostics, 
like Ps. 25, 34, 37, 119, etc.— that is, every 
verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew 
alphabet in regular order. Chaps. 1, 2, 
a-nd 4 contain 22 verses each, according to 
the number of Hebrew letters. The third 
chapter has three successive verses begin- 
ning with the same letter, making 66 verses 
in all. It soothed the weary years of the 
Babylonian exile, and afterward kept up a 
hvely remembrance of the days of the 
deepest humihation. On the ninth day of 
the month of Ab (July) it was read, year 
by year, with fasting and weeping, to 
commemorate the national misery and the 
final deliverance. The author is not named 
anywhere in the Bible, and the book is not 
quoted in the New Testament ; but general 
tradition assigns the composition to Jere- 
miah, and this is the prevailing opinion. 

Hiamp. The lights of the East are of 
various kinds; not only oil, but pitch, 
naphtha, and wax are used to maintain 
the flame. The wicks were generally made 
of cotton or of flax. According to fabbin- 
cal tradition, the wicks of the sacred lami)s 
were made of the old linen garments of 
the priests. The form of Oriental lamps 
was fanciful, and often elegant, of which 
we have numerous specimens found in the 
ruined cities of the East. The materials of 
which lamps were made were baked clay, 
terra cotta, bronze, etc. The lamps of the 
Hebrews, it is probable, were suffered to 
bum all night, and this occasioned no great 
expense in a country so rich in oil. The 
putting out of the light denoted the ruin 
and extinction of the family and the de- 
sertion of the house. This gives force to 
the words in Job 18 : 5, 6 ; 21 : 17 ; 29 : 3 : 



LAND-MaBK 



OP THE BIBLE, 



LfiAfi 



"The light of the wicked shall be put out ; 
. . . light shall be dark in his tabernacle, 
and his candle shall be put out with him." 
" How oft is the candle of the wicked put 
out." Jer. 25 : 10, 11 ; Prov. 20 : 20. Also 
in Prov. 13 : 9 ; " The light of the righteous 
rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall 
be put out ; " and of the prudent wife, 
"Her candle goeth not oui by night." 
Prov. 31 : 18. 

Land-mark. The removing of a land- 
mark was specially proliibited by the Mo- 
saic law. Deut. 19 : 14 ; 27 : 17 ; Prov. 22 : 
28 ; 23 : 10. See also Job 24 : 2. As this was 
so flagrant an offence, the expression seems 
to have become proverbial to designate un- 
principled conduct. See Hos. 5 : 10. 

Laodicea (la-dd-i-se'ah), the old city 
(Greek Diospolis), stood on the banks of 
the Lycus, a branch of the Meander, a few 
miles distant from Colosse and Hierapolis, 
in the Roman province of Asia, in Asia 
Minor. Seleucus II. enlarged it, and named 
it after his wife Laodicea. A Christian church 
was early estabhshed here, probably from 
Ephesus, and to this church Paul sent a 
salutation when writing to the Colossians, 
Col. 4 : 15 ; it is also mentioned in Rev. 1 : 
11 ; 3 : 14. From Col. 4 : 16 it appears that 
Paul wrote a letter to the Laodiceans, 
which some think is the same as the Epis- 
tle to the Ephesians. 

Lappeth. Judg. 7 : 5. Orientals are ac- 
customed to take up water in the hollow 
of the hand to drink with surprising agil- 
ity. When Gideon's army came to the 
water side, some drank of it with the hand 
quickly, to be ready without delay to fol- 
low Gideon ; while the thousands of faint- 
hearted, that were sent away, stooped 
down to drink with so much tardiness and 
ceremony as to show that their hearts were 
not with Gideon in his contemplated en- 
terprise. The three hundred showed them- 
selves men of alacrity and promptness, 
and therefore fit for the work. 

Iiapwing. Occurs only in A. V. of Lev. 
11 : 19, R. v. Hoopoe, and in the parallel 
passage of Deut. 14 : 18, amongst the hst of 
those birds which were forbidden by the 
law of Moses to be eaten by the Israelites. 
Probably the hoopoe is intended, a bird 
about the size of a pigeon. 

Liatchet. Mark 1 : 7. The fastening of 
a sandal or shoe. See Garments, Cloth- 
ing. 

L.attice. 2 Kings 1 : 2. See Dwelling. 

L,aver. 1. A circular vessel of brass, in the 
tabernacle containing water for the priests 
to wash their hands and feet, before offering 
sacrifice. It stood in the court between the 
altar and the door of the tabernacle. Ex. 
30 : 18-21. It rested on a basis, i. e., a foot, 
which, as well as the laver itself, was made 
from the mirrors of the women who assem- 
bled at the door of the tabernacle court. 
Ex. 38 : 8. Like the other vessels belong- 
ing to the tabernacle, it was, together with 
its " foot," consecrated with oil. Lev. 8 : 
10, 11. 2. In Solomon's temple, besides the 
great molten sea, there were ten lavers of 
brass, raised on bases, 1 Kings 7 : 27, 39, 
five on the north and five on the south 



side of the court of the priests. They were 
used for washing the animals to be offered 
in burnt oflerings. 2 Chron. 4 : 6. 

L.aw, Tlie. This term is applied in the 
New Testament to the old covenant and 
revelation, in distinction from the new; 
the dispensation under the law in distinc- 
tion from the dispensation under the gos- 
pel; that by Moses and the prophets iu 
distinction from the dispensation by Christ. 
John 1 : 17 ; Acts 25 : 8 ; Heb. 10 : 1-18. It 
was the title a;pplied by the Jews to the 
first five books ot the Bible. The law, the 
prophets, and the psalms, Luke 24 : 27, 44 ; 
Acts 13 : 15, thus designate the entire Old 
Testament. The term often refers more 
specially to the Mosaic legislation, includ- 
ing the moral. Matt. 6 : 17, the ceremonial, 
Eph. 2 : 15, and the political, but particu- 
larly the first. Sometimes Paul uses the 
word "law" (without the article) in a 
wider sense — of principle, rule of moral 
conduct— and speaks of the heathen as 
having such a law written on their con- 
science or being a law to themselves. Rom. 
2 : 14, 15. 

Lawyers, Luke 7 : 30, called also " doc- 
tors of the law," Luke 5 : 17, among the 
Hebrews, were not pleaders before a court, 
but expounders of the Mosaic and priestly 
law, and copied it, so that it is not certain 
what was the difference between a lawyer 
and a scribe. Matt. 22 : 35 ; Luke 10 : 25 ; 
comp. Mark 12 : 28. 

Lazarus {Idz'a-rils), an abbreviation of 
Eleazar, whom God helps. 1. A person of 
Bethany residing with his two sisters, in 
whose household Christ was a frequent 
guest. He was raised from the tomb by 
Christ in the presence of the family and a 
number of Jews, after he had been dead 
four days. So incensed were the Jews at 
this that they sought to kill not only Christ, 
but even Lazarus. John 11 ; 12 : 1-11. 2. 
In the parable by which our Saviour 
illustrates the retributions of the future 
world one of the parties is named Lazarus. 
Luke 16 : 19-31. 

Lead. A metal known to the ancients 
from a very early period, and alluded to in 
Ex. 15 : 10 on account of its weight. It is 
mentioned several times in Scripture as en- 
tering into the process of purifying more 
precious metals, Jer. 6 : 29 : Ezek. 22 ; 18, 20 : 
for which purpose quicksilver is now used. 
The words of Job 19:24, "that they were 
graven with an iron pen and lead in the 
rock forever," refer to the custom of pour- 
ing molten lead into letters carved in the 
rock in order to make them more striking 
to the eye. 

Leah {Wah), wearied. The elder daugh- 
ter of Laban. Her eyes were delicate and 
weak. Gen. 29 : 16, 17. By her father La- 
ban's deceit she was married to Jacob ; she 
bore him six sons and a daughter, but 
seems to have been ever painfully sensible 
that her husband's affections were given 
mainly to her sister Rachel. Gen. 29 : 21- 
25, 31-35 ; 30 : 1-21. She wilhngly accom- 
panied Jacob into Canaan, Gen. 31 ; and 
there she died, when, is not stated, but 
it was before the family of Israel went 

139 



LEASINa 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



LEPER 



down into Egypt, and she was buried in 
the cave of Machpelah. Gen. 49 : 31. 

Leasing. Ps. 4:2, A. V., "falsehood," 
R. V. An old English word for falsehood, 
lying. 

Leaven. Any substance that promotes 
fermentation. Sour dough is generally 
used in the East for this purpose ; lees of 
wine are also employed. The fermenta- 
tion produced is a kind of putrefaction ; 
indeed it is distributed into three kinds, 
the vinous, the acetous, the putrefactive. 
All leaven was prohibited in meat-oflferings, 
Lev. 2 : 11 ; 7 : 12 ; 8 : 2 ; Num. 6 : 15, and 
specially in the paschal feast of the He- 
brews, Ex. 12 : 3, 19, 20 ; whence this was 
often called "the feast of vmleavened 
bread." Matt. 26 : 17. The nature of leaven, 
affecting the whole lump of the substance 
to which it is added, furnishes some strik- 
ing illustrations in Scripture, Matt. 13 : 33 ; 
16 : 6 ; 1 Cor. 5:6; as also does the corruj)- 
tion it had undergone ; thus we have warn- 
ings in Luke 12 : 1 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 7, 8, where the 
word is symbohcally used for corruptness 
of Ufe, or doctrine. 

Liebanon (lel/a-non), exceeding white. A 
double mountain range to the north of 
Palestine, consisting of a western chain, 
Lebanon proper, and an eastern. " Leba- 
non toward the sun-rising," Josh. 13 : 5, 
called by classic writers Anti-Libanus, and 
enclosing a valley from five to eight miles 
broad—" the valley of Lebanon," Josh. 11 : 
17; called by classic writers Ccelo-Syria. 
The western range, the Lebanon proi)er, 
begins on the north near the banks of the 
Eleutherus, which passes through the plain 
of Emesa, the "entrance of Hamath," 
Num. 34 : 8, to the Mediterranean, and runs 
for a distance of 90 geographical miles, in 
the direction from northeast to southwest, 
parallel with the Mediterranean, to the 
banks of the Litany, the ancient Leontes, 
which, draining Coelo-Syria and breaking 
through the Lebanon by a wild gorge, en- 
ters the Mediterranean a few miles north 
of Tyre. The average height of this range 
is from 6000 to 8000 feet. "The smell of 
thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon." 
Song of Sol. 4 : 11. The eastern chain, the 
Anti-Lebanon, runs nearly parallel with 
the western. Its highest point is Mount 
Hermon. Its western descent toward Coelo- 
Syria is abrupt and steep ; to the east it 
gradually sinks into the plains of the des- 
ert. Its general aspect is bleak and barren, 
the abode of wild beasts and birds of prey. 
From both ranges numerous rivers descend 
— the Eleutherus, Leontes, Jordan, Abana, 
and Pharpar (which see) ; and the cold- 
flowing waters of the springs and streams 
of Lebanon were and are still proverbial. 

L-eek. A vegetable similar to the onion, 
after which the Israelites longed in the wil- 
derness. Num. 11 : 5. The same word is 
elsewhere rendered "grass," 1 Kings 18 : 5 ; 
2 Kings 19 : 26 ; Job 40 : 15 ; Ps. 37: 2 ; " herb," 
Job 8 : 12 ; " hay," Prov. 27 : 25, Isa. 15 : 6. 
The specific translation "leek" is ques- 
tionable. 

lices. The settlings of a liquor ; its sed- 
iment or dregs. " Wine on the lees " means 
140 



a generous, full-bodied liquor. Isa. 25 : 6. 
Before the wine was consumed, it was nec- 
essary to strain off the lees; such wine 
was then termed "well refined." Isa. 25: 
6. To drink the lees, or "dregs," was an 
expression for the endurance of extreme 
punishment. Ps. 75 : 8. 

L-egion. A division of the Roman army. 
The number of men in it differed at va- 
rious times. Originally a legion consisted 
of about 3000 ; but in the time of Au- 
gustus it contained about 6000 : there were 
also cavalry attached, to the amount of 
one-tenth of the infantry. Each legion 
was divided into ten cohorts, each cohort 
into three maniples, and each maniple into 
two centuries, which, according to the 
name, should comprise 100 men. The word 
legion came in the course of time to ex- 
press indefinitely a large number; so 
It is used in Matt. 26 : 53 ; Mark 5 : 9, 15 ; 
Luke 8 : 30 ; and so we frequently now 
use it. 

LientUes. A leguminous plant, produc- 
ing a kind of pulse resembhng small beans. 
They are chiefly used for pottage, which is 
of a red or chocolate color. Such was that 
for which Esau sold his birthright. Gen. 
25 : 29-34. An illustration of this is fur- 
nished in the tomb-paintings of Egypt, 
where there is a representation of a man 
cooking lentiles for soup or porridge. 
Sometimes lentiles, in seasons of scarcity, 
and by the poor, were employed for mak- 
ing bread. Ezek. 4 : 9. Mixed with barley 
they are said to be frequently so used in 
the southern parts of Egypt. 

licopard. Isa. 11 : 6. An animal of the 
cat tribe, which is often mentioned by the 
sacred writers. The Hebrew name is nim- 
rah. Num. 32 :3. Beth-nimrah, Num. 32 : 
36, means the house of the leopards ; and 
in Son^ of Sol. 4 : 8, are mentioned the 
mountains of the leopards. Allusions are 
made in the Bible to its manner of watch- 
ing for its prey, Jer. 5:6; Hos. 13:7; its 
fleetness, Hab. 1:8; its fierceness and cru- 
elty, Isa. 11 : 6, and in Dan. 7:6 it is made 
the emblem of power. 

licper. Leprosy is the name of a loath- 
some disease taking various forms ; some 
curable, some not. In the worst form the 
bones and the marrow are pervaded with the 
disease, so that the joints of the hands and 
feet lose their power, the hmbs of the body 
fall together, and the whole system as- 
sumes a most deformed and loathsome ap- 
pearance. The progress and effect of the 
disease are described in Job 2 : 7, 8, 12 ; 6 : 
2 ; 7:3-5; 19 : 14-21. There are two forms 
of the disease— the tuberculated, incrust- 
ing the whole i)erson with ulcerous tuber- 
cles, and the anaesthetic, making the skin 
miimmyUke — but under both forms " Death 
hves," and the diseased is a walking tomb, 
a parable of death. There was also a milder 
form of the disease, the so-called white 
leprosy, often attacking only one Umb and 
generally curable, as when " Moses' hand 
was leprous as snow." Ex. 4 : 6. Notice also 
the cases of Miriam, Num. 12 : 10 ; Gehazi, 2 
Kings 5:27; and Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26:16- 
23. Although the laws respecting this dis- 



LET 



OF ma msLS. 



LEVITES 



ease which we find in the Mosaic code are 
exceedingly rigid, it is by no means clear 
that the leprosy was considered contagious. 
The horror and disgust which was felt to- 
ward a disease so foul and loathsome 
might be a sufficient reason for such severe 
enactments, and strict seclusion was at all 
events an effective means of arresting the 
progress of the disease by preventing in- 
termarriage between "lepers" and the 
healthy. The leper was excluded from 
the tabernacle and the camp, and when 
he was healed his restoration to social in- 
tercourse with his fellow-men was twofold ; 
performed both in the camp and in the 
tabernacle. Lev. 14 : 3-32. A house for 
lepers was built outside Jerusalem on the 
hill of Jareb— i. e., "the hill of scraping," 
Jer. 31 : 40 ; Job 2 : 8— and the leper was 
compelled to wear mourning. Lev. 13 : 45. 
Of leprosy in garments and houses, Lev. 
13 : 47-59 ; 14 ; 33-53, Uttle can be said. It 
might be propagated by animalculse or 
germs ; and the regulations concerning it 
miust have been of a sanitary as well as 
moral character. It is well known that the 
disease is now frequently conveyed by 
clothes. 

liet. Ex. 5:4, R. V., "loose ;" Isa. 43: 
13 ; Rom. 1 : 13, R. V., " hindered ; " 2 Thess. 
2 : 7, R. v., "restraineth." This word is 
used in old English for "to hinder," "to 
stop." 

Lettei*. The letters mentioned, 2 Sam. 
11 : 14 ; 2 Kings 10 : 1 ; Ezra 4 : 11, were in 
the form of rolls, not unlike those used in 
the East at the present day. Thus the 
Arabs roll up their letters, and then flatten 
them to the breadth of an inch and paste 
up the end instead of sealing them ; and 
the Persians make up their letters in the 
■ form of rolls, about six inches long, and 
paste a bit of paper around them' with gum 
and seal them with an impression of ink. 
When sent to inferiors they were often sent 
open, Neh. 6:5; but when sent to equals 
or superiors they were enclosed in a purse 
or bag. 

lie vi (le'vl), a joining. 1. The third son of 
Jacob by Leah, who gave him his name as 
trusting that her husband would, now that 
she had borne him three sons, be joined in 
affection with her. Gen. 29 : 34. Levi, 
with his brother Simeon, took the lead in 
the dreadful vengeance inflicted upon the 
Shechemites for the defilement of their 
sister Dinah. Gen. 34 : 25-31. Jacob viewed 
I their conduct with abhorrence, and, before 
I his death, while prophetically describing 
the future fortunes of his sons and their 
posterity, uttered a solemn denunciation 
upon Simeon and Levi. Gen. 49 : 5-7. This 
appears to have come upon Simeon ; but 
the holy zeal of the Levites on occasion of 
the golden calf procured them a remarka- 
ble blessing and distinction. Ex. 32 : 26-29. 
Leri had three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and 
Merari, the heads of the famiUes of the 
tribe. He died in Egypt at the age of 137. 
Ex. 6 : 16. See licvites. 2. The same as 
Matthew. Mark 2 : 14 ; Luke 5 : 27. See 
Matthew. 8, 4. Two of our Lord's ances- 
tors. Luke 3: 24, 29. 



Lieviathan (jointed monster). This word 
occurs five times in the A. V., and once in 
the margin. Job 3 : 8, where the text has 
" mourning." In Hebrew the word livya- 
than is found only in Job 3:8; 41 : 1 ; Ps. 
74 : 14 ; 104 : 26 ; Isa. 27 : 1. In the margin 
of Job 3 : 8 and text of Job 41 : 1 the croco- 
dile is no doubt the animal meant, and 
also in Ps. 74 : 14. In Ps. 104 : 26 the name 
represents some animal of the whale tribe 
in the Mediterranean ; but it is uncertain 
what animal is intended in Isa. 27 : 1. The 
term may denote some species of snakes 
which are common in south and west 
Africa. 

Levites (le'vites). A term applied sometimes 
to all the aescendants of Levi. Num. 35 : 2 ; 
Josh. 21 : 3, 41 ; Ex. 6 : 25 ; Lev. 25 : 32, etc. 
But the " sons of Aaron " were separated 
from the rest of the descendants of Levi 
and consecrated priests; hence, after this 
the Levites comprised only those descend- 
ants of Levi who were not " sons of Aaron " 
— that is, priests. 1 Kings 8:4; Ezra 2 : 70 ; 
John 1 : 19, etc. Sometimes, also, the term 
was used to show from what tribe the 
priests came — "the priests the Levites." 
Josh. 3:3; Deut. 17 : 18. The Levites num- 
bered 22,000 in the wilderness, and took 
the place of the first-born, part of whom 
were redeemed at five shekels each. Num. 
3:45-51, the fixed ransom for a victim 
vowed in sacrifice. Num. 18 : 16 ; Lev. 27 : 
6. Thus the Levites came to occupy in the 
Hebrew theocracy a position midway be- 
tween the priests and the people. They 
consisted of three great families, the Ko- 
hath ites, the Gershonites, and the Mera- 
rites, of which the first carried the sacred 
vessels, the second the hangings and cur- 
tains of the tabernacle, and the third the 
boards and pillars. They also kept the 
book of the Law, Deut. 17 : 8-12, and served 
as judges, etc. Forty-eight cities, with 1000 
cubits of the country surrounding, were ap- 
propriated for the residence and mainten- 
ance of the Levites. Besides these cities, 
with adjacent districts, the Levites received 
a tithe of all produce, animal and vegeta- 
ble, but of this they paid a tithe to the 
priests. Num. 18 : 20-32. Another tithe 
they received every third year, and special 
provision was made for them during the 
term they administered in the sanctuary. 
In the time of David their number had in- 
creased to 38,000, of which 24,000 were set 
apart for the ordinary services, 6000 for the 
teaching of the Law and the administra- 
tion of justice, 4000 as porters, and 4000 as 
musicians. They were divided into courses, 
and came up from their cities to the sanc- 
tuary in regular rotation. 1 Chron. 23 ; 24 : 
20-31 ; 25 ; 26. When the separation took 
place between the kingdom of Israel and 
the kingdom of Judah, all the Levites gath- 
ered to Judah, 2 Chron. 11 : 13-15, and they 
continued to play a conspicuous part in 
the destinies of this kingdom. After the 
captivity, however, only a small number 
of them returned, Ezra 2 : 36-42 ; 3 : 10 ; 6 : 
18; but in the new organization they as- 
sTuned their old positions. They settled in 
I the villages near Jerusalem, received their 

141 



Ll\lTlCtJg 



P£OPl£'S bicfto^^ARV 



LOCtJST 



old tithes, etc. Neh. 10 : 37-39 ; 12 : 29. In 
the New Testament they occur as repre- 
sentatives of a formal worship destitute of 
love. Luke 10 : 32. The distinction of Le- 
vite is still maintained among the Jews. 

Iicviticus {le-vit'i-kus), relating to the Le- 
vites. The name of the third book of the 
Pentateuch. Only the chapters 8-10 are 
history ; the rest " treats of the Levitical 
services — ^namely, chaps. 1-7, the laws of 
offerings ; 8-10, the consecration of Aaron 
and his family ; 11-15, the laws concerning 
that which is' clean and that which is un- 
clean ; 16, the atonement as the sum-total 
of all means of grace ; 17-20, the separa- 
tion of Israel from heathendom in food, 
marriage, etc. ; 21, 22, the hohness of priests 
and offerings ; 23, 24, the holiness of con- 
vocations, Sabbaths; 25, on redemption; 
26, on repentance : 27, on vows. 

Libertines [Uh'er -tines). The descend- 
ants of Jewish freedmen at Rome, who had 
been expelled, 19 a. d., by Tiberius. Acts 
6 : 9. They might very well have a syna- 
gogue of their own at Jerusalem, as they 
were numerous, and as there are said to 
have been not fewer than 460 or 480 syna- 
gogues in that city. 

Liibnah (lib'nah), whiteness. 1. The fifth 
station at which Israel encamped on their 
journey from Sinai ; situated between Rim- } 
mon-parez and Rissah, Num. 33 : 20, 21, but ' 
not yet identified. 2. A city of Canaan, in j 
the "lowland of Judah, was taken bv | 
Joshua, Josh. 10 : 29-32, 39 ; 12 : 15, and as- 
signed to the priests. Josh. 15 : 42 ; 21 : 13 ; 1 
Chron. 6 : 57 : revolted against Joram, 2 
Kings S : 22 ; 2 Chron. 21 : 10 ; was besieged 
by Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19 : 8 ; Isa. 37 :8. 

'liibva (lib'y-ah), occurring onlv in Ezek. 
30 : 5 A. V. (R. V. " Put,"), and Acts 2 : 10, 
and Lybia is the classic name of northern 
Africa,' west of Egypt. It was inhabited by 
a Hamitic race, spoken of in the Old Tes- 
tament under the name of Lehabim or 
Lubim. 

Lice. Ex. 8 : 16. These parasitic insects 
are still a pest in the Nile valley. Herodo- 
tus tells us that the ancient Egyptians pe- 
culiarly abhorred such vermin," and were 
taught" by their priests that contact with 
lice rendered them ceremonially unclean. 
Some authoriries have held that gnats 
were here intended, but more probably 
ticks' are meant. These ticks are much 
larger than lice. The body is ordinarily 
about the size of a small pea ; the legs are 
long, and the creature runs rapidly. 

LigTire, Heb. leshem. A precious stone 
mentioned in Ex. 28 : 19 ; 39 : 12, R, Y. "Ja- 
cinth," as the first in the third row of the 
high priest's breastplate. Perhaps tourma- 
hne, or more definitely the red variety 
known as rubellite, is th'e stone meant. Ru- 
bellite is a hard stone, and used as a gem, 
and is sometimes sold for red sapphire. 

Lily. A flower repeatedly mentioned in 
Scripture in both the Old' and the New 
Testaments. It was of gorgeous beauty. 
Matt. 6 : 28, 29, growing near the place 
where the Sermon on the Mount was de- 
livered, luxuriant and probably rapid in 
its growth, Hos. 14 : 5 ; it was found in the 

142 



vallevs among thorns and on x>asture land, 
Song of Sol. 2 : 1, 2, 16 ; 4 : 5 ; 6 : 3 ; still, 
whether it was scarlet, or emitted a fra- 
grant odor, we cannot gather with certainty 
from Song of Sol., 5 :13, as critics differ in 
their interpretation of this verse. If the 
former idea be preferred, the flower may be 
supposed to be the Lilium Chalcedonicum, 
or scarlet martagon, which is found plen- 
tifully in Galilee in spring-time. If the lilv 
was fragrant, it M'as probably the Lilium 
candidum, or common white hly, which 
also grows in Palestine; or it m'ay desig- 
nate some species of anemone. 
Linen. A cloth made from flax. Lev.13 : 47. 
Several Hebrew words are rendered linen. 
Egypt was the great centre of the linen 
trade. Prov. 7 : 16 : 1 Kings 10 : 28, A. V., 
but the R. V. reads differently. Some Unen 
made from the Egyptian by^us. a flax that 
grew on the banks of the Nile, was soft 
like silk and of dazzling whiteness. This 
hnen has been sold for twice its weight in 
gold. Sir J. G. Wilkinson says of it : " The 
quaUty of the fine hnen fully justifies all 
the praises of antiquity, and "excites equal 
admiration at the present day, bein^ to the 
touch comparable to silk, and not inferior 
in texture to our finest cambric." 

Lion. Lions do not now exist in Pales- 
tine : but they must in ancient times have 
been numerous there. The names Leba- 
oth, Josh. 15 : 32 ; 19 : 6 ; Laish, Judg. 18 : 7 ; 
1 Sam. 25 : 44, indicate the presence of the 
hon in those regions. The lion of Palestine 
was in all probability the Asiatic variety, 
described by Aristotle" and Phny as distin- 
guished by its short curly mane, and by 
being shorter and rounder in shape, like 
the sculptured hon found at Arban. When 
driven by hunger it not only ventured to 
attack the flocks in the desert in presence 
of the shepherd, 1 Sam. 17 : 34 ; Isa. 31 : 4, 
but laid waste towns and villages, 2 Kings 
17 : 25, 26 : Prov. 22 : 13 ; 26 : 13, and devoured 
men. 1 Kings 13 : 24 : 20 : 36. Among the 
Hebrews, and throughout the Old Testa- 
ment, the hon was the sjTobol of the 
princely tribe of Judah, "whUe in the 
closing" book of the Bible it received a 
deeper significance as the emblem of him 
who '-prevailed to open the book, and to 
loose the seven seals thereof" Rev. 5 : 5. On 
the other hand its fierceness and cruelty 
rendered it an appropriate metaphor for "a 
fierce and malignant enemy, Ps. 7 : 2 ; 22 : 
21 ; 57 : 4 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 17. and hence for the 
archfiend himself, 1 Pet. 5 : 8. 

Locust. A well-known insect which 
commits terrible ravages on vegetation in 
the countries which it visits. The common 
brown locust is about three inches in 
length, and the general form is that of a 
grasshopper. Locusts occur in great num- 
bers, and sometimes otecure the sun. Ex. 
IQ : 15 ; Judg. 6:5; Jer. 46 : 23. Their vora- 
city is alluded to in Ex. 10 : 12, 15 ; Joel 1 : 4, 
7. Thev make a fearful noise in their 
flight. Joel 2:5; Rev. 9 : 9. Their irre- 
sistible progress is referred to in Joel 2 : 8, 
9. They enter dwelhngs, and devour even 
the woodwork of houses. Ex. 10 : 6 ; Joel 
2:9, 10. They do not fly in the night Nah, 



16D 



OP THE mSLS. 



LORD'S SUPPER 



8 : 17. The sea destroys the greater num- 
ber. Ex. 10 : 19 ; Joel 2 : 20. The flight of 
locusts is thus described : " It is difficult to 
express the effect produced on us bj-^ the 
sight of the whole atmosphere filled on all 
sides and to a great height by an innumer- 
able quantity of these insects, whose flight 
was slow and uniform^, and whose noise 
resembled that of rain ; the sky was dark- 
ened, and the light of the sun considerably 
weakened. In a moment the terraces of 
the houses, the streets, and all the fields 
were covered by these insects, and in two 
days they had nearly devoured all the 
leaves of the plants." Locusts have been 
used as food from the earliest times. Lev. 
11 : 21, 22 ; Matt. 3:4; Mark 1 : 6. Herodo- 
tus speaks of a Libyan nation who dried 
their locusts in the sun and ate them with 
milk. The more common method was 
to pull off the legs and wings and roast 
the bodies in an iron dish. Then they 
were thrown into a bag, and eaten hke 
parched corn, each one taking a handful 
when he chose. Sometimes locusts are 
ground and pounded, and then mixed with 
flour and water and made into cakes, or 
they are salted and then eaten ; sometimes 
smoked ; sometimes boiled or roasted ; or 
stewed or fried in butter. 

L.od {I6d). 1 Chron. 8 : 12. See liydda. 

Liodebar {lo-de'bar or lo'de-hdr), withoitt 
pasture. A place in the tribe of Gad, not 
far from Mahanaim, north of the Jabbok, 
east of the Jordan. 2 Sam. 9 : 4 ; 17 : 27. 
Here dwelt Machir the Ammonite, who as- 
sisted David in his flight from Absalom, 
and there Hved Mephibosheth, Jonathan's 
lame son. Some suppose it to be the same 
as Debir, Josh. 13 : 26, but by modem trav- 
ellers it has not yet been identified. 

liOg. See Measures. 

liOoking-glass. This word occurs in 
Ex. 38 : 8 ; Job 37 : 18 ; also in Isa. 3 : 23, 
where it is simply " glasses." The R. V. 
reads mirrors in these three places. The 
articles intended were mirrors, tablets, or 
plates of polished metal, mostly of a round 
form, and furnished with handles. Those 
carried by the Hebrew women at the time 
of the construction of the vessels of the 
tabernacle were used for making " the laver 
of brass and the foot of it of brass." Many 
mirrors have been discovered in Egypt, 
and are to be seen in museums. They are 
of mixed metal, chiefly copper, very care- 
fully wrought, and highly polished. 

liord. The rendering of the two He- 
brew words "Jehovah" and "Adonai." 
When it represents the former it is printed 
with capitals. Gen. 15 : 4. When it repre- 
sents the latter it is printed with a capital 
initial. Ps. 97 : 5. 

liord's Day. Rev. 1 : 10. From the times 
of the apostles, the first day of the week has 
been kept sacred by Christians in commem- 
oration of the resurrection of Christ, and 
it is invariably designated as the Lord's 
day by the fathers of the primitive church 
up to the time of the edict of Constantine, 
when the name Sunday became common. 
"On the first day of the week when the 
disciples came together to break bread, 



Paul preached unto them." Acts 20 : 7. 
His charge "concerning the collection for 
the saints" to the church in Corinth is, 
" Upon the first day of the week let every 
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath 
prospered him." lCor.l6:l, 2. John com- 
mences the Revelation saying : "I was in 
the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev. 1 : 10. 
The Lord's day, as the Sabbath, reminds us 
of the finished work of creation and re- 
demption. See Sabbath. 

liord's Prayer. The name given to the 
prayer which our Lord taught his disciples, 
after their request, " Lord, teach us to pray," 
recorded in Matt. 6 : 9-13 ; Luke 11 : 2-4. 
Our Lord warns them against praying to 
be seen of men, and against using " vain 
repetitions, as the heathen do," and adds : 
"After this manner pray ye: Our Father 
which art in heaven," etc. This prayer is 
a model prayer, divinely authorized ; sim- 
ple, short; complete, so far as adoration, 
coiifession, supplication, and intercession 
go. As it is, a Jew, a Mohammedan, or a 
heathen, may use it with propriety ; but it 
would not be a complete Christian prayer 
without it is offered in accordance with our 
Lord's additional teachings concerning 
prayer to his disciples. We must come to 
God through him. " No man cometh unto 
the Father, but by me." John 14 : 6. We 
must offer our prayers in his name. " Ver- 
ily, verily, I say unto you, W^hatsoever ye 
shall ask the Father in my name, he will 
give it you. Hitherto have ye asked noth- 
ing in my name : ask, and ye shall receive, 
that yoiu- joy may be full." " Whatsoever 
ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, 
that the Father may be glorified in the 
Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, 
I will do it," John 16 : 23, 24, 26 ; 14 : 13, 14 ; 
15 : 16. In the use of the Lord's Prayer, so 
called, we should remember our Lord's in- 
junction when teaching it, " Use not vain 
repetitions, as the heathen do." Matt. 
6:7. 

liord's Supper. The passover was in- 
stituted in the Jewish church as a perpet- 
ual reminder of their deliverance from 
Egypt until, as a type, it was fulfilled by 
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for his 
people. Just before his death he instituted 
what is called "The Lord's Supper," to be 
observed by his followers as a perpetual 
reminder until he comes again. As the 
passover was not a new deliverance, but 
simply a reminder and commemoration to 
be observed with joy and thanksgiving, so 
is the Lord's Supper to be observed. There 
is no new sacrifice of Christ. The adora- 
tion of the bread or wafer is the grossest 
perversion and idolatry. " Christ was once 
offered to bear the sins of many." " We are 
sanctified through the offering of the body 
of Jesus ChrisL once for all." "But this 
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for 
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand 
of God." "For by one offering he hath 
perfected for ever them that are sanctified." 
Heb. 9 : 25-28 ; 10 : 10, 12, 14. The connec- 
tion of the passover feast with the Lord's 
Supper is shown by such passages as the 
following. At the institution of the latter, 

143 



LOT 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



LtJKE 



Christ said, " With desire I have desired to 
eat this passover with you before I suffer. 
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat 
thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom 
of God," Luke 22 : 15, 16; and, "For even 
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." 1 
Cor, 5 : 7. The Lord's Supper was instituted 
before Christ's body was broken or his 
blood shed. The accounts of it given. 
Matt. 26 : 26 ; Mark 14 : 22 ; Luke 22 : 14-20, 
are exceedingly touching, and the injunc- 
tion very plain : " This do in remembrance 
of me." Luke 22 : 19 ; 1 Cor. 11: 24, 25. It 
is also a continual reminder of the second 
coming of our Lord ; " For as often as ye 
eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do 
shew the Lord's death till he come." 1 Cor. 
11 : 26. The Scripture account of it is sim- 
ple. The Lord Jesus, after eating the pas- 
chal supper with his disciples, took bread 
and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to 
the disciples and said. Take, eat, tnis is my 
body, which is broken for you : this do in 
remembrance of me. After 'the same man- 
ner also he took the cup, and gave thanks 
and gave it to them, saying. Drink ye all 
of it ; for this is the new covenant in my 
blood, which is shed for many unto re- 
mission of sins; this do ye as oft as ye 
drink it in remembrance of me. Matt. 26 : 
19-30 ; Mark 14 : 16-26 ; Luke 22 : 13-20 ; 1 
Cor. 11 : 23-26. R. V. Nothing can surpass 
the touching simpUcity and appropriateness 
of this memorial ser\dce. 

Lcot {I6t), veil or covering. The son of 
Haran and nephew of Abraham. Gen, 11 : 
27, 81. Etis sisters were Milcah the wife of 
Nahor, and Iscah, by some identified with 
Sarah. Haran died before the emigration 
of Terah and his family from Ur of the 
Chaldees, ver. 28, and \jot was therefore 
bom there. He removed with the rest of his 
kindred to Haran, and again subsequently 
with Abraham and Sarai to Canaan. Gen. 
12 : 4, 5. With them he took refuge in 
Egypt from a famine, and with them re- 
turned first to the " South," Gen. 13 : 1, and 
then to their original settlement between 
Bethel and Ai. vs. 3, 4. Later, they sepa- 
rated. Lot choosing the fertile plain of the 
Jordan, near Sodom. Gen. 13 : 10-14. Lot 
was captured by the four kings of the East, 
and rescued by Abram. Gen. 14. He 
was still living in Sodom, Gen. 19, from 
which he was rescued by angels on the 
day of its final overthrow. He fled first 
to Zoar, in which he found a temporary 
refuge during the destruction of the other 
cities of the plain. The end of Lot's wife 
is commonly treated as one of the difficul- 
ties of the Bible ; but it surely need not be 
so. The value and the significance of the 
story to us are contained in the allusion of 
Christ. Luke 17 : 32. It is folly to think of 
identifying the "pillar" with some one of 
the fleering forms which the perishable 
rock of the south end of the Dead Sea is 
constantly assuming. From the incestuous 
intercourse between Lot and his two daugh- 
ters sprang the nations of Moab and Am- 
mon. 

Liot. Casting lots or a pebble is an an- 
cient custom of deciding doubtful ques- 

144 



tions. Prov. 16 : 33. Among the Jews lots 
were used with the expectation that God 
would so control them as to give a right 
direction to them, as in the choice of the 
apostle Matthias, Acts 1 : 26, and in the 
cases of Saul and Jonathan, and Jonah and 
his companions to determine who had of- 
fended God. 1 Sam. 14 : 41, 42 ; Jonah 1 : 7. 
In the division of the Promised Land 
among the tribes of Israel the use of the 
lot was expressly commanded by God 
himself, it being understood that the ex- 
tent of territory should be proportioned to 
the population of each tribe. Num. 26 : 55. 
So the selection of the scapegoat on the 
day of atonement was to be determined 
by lot. Lev. 16 : 8. Property was divided 
in a similar way, Ps. 22 : 18 ; Matt. 27 : 35. 
The orders of the priests and their daily 
services were also assigned by lot. 1 Chrou. 
chaps. 24, 25, The manner of casting lots 
is supposed to have been by stones or marks 
which were thrown together into the lap or 
fold of a garment, or into an urn or vase, 
and the i)erson holding them shook them 
violently, and they were then drawn. The 
passage," Prov. 16 : 33, is paraphrased thus : 
"In a lot-vase the lots are shaken in all 
directions ; nevertheless, from the Lord is 
the whole decision or judgment." 

liove Feasts, Agapl. Jude 12; 2 Pet. 
2 : 13. A meeting accompanying the Lord's 
Supper in which the poorer members of 
the chiu-ch were provided for by the con- 
tributions of Christians, but whether before 
or after the celebration is uncertain. Chrj-s- 
ostom says that after the early com- 
munity of goods had ceased, the richer 
members brought to the church contribu- 
tions of food and drink, of which, after 
the conclusion of the services and the cel- 
ebration of the Lord's Supper, all partook 
together, by this means helping to promote 
the principle of love among Christians. 
The love feasts were forbidden to be held 
in churches by the Council of Laodicea, 
A. D. 320 ; but in some form or other they 
have been continued in some churches, 

liucifer {la'si-fer), light-hringer. The 
original word signifies brilliant star, i. e., 
the morning star. The title is applied to 
the king of Babylon in Isa. 14 : 12, R, V,, 
day star ; he had outshone other kings, as 
the bright star of the morning surpasses 
other stars, Falhng from heaven denotes 
a sudden pohtical overthrow or catastro- 
phe. In popular language Lucifer is re- 
garded as an appellation of Satan, 

L-ucius (Wshl-Hs). A Cyrenian, a Chris- 
tian teacher at Antioch, Acts 13 : 1. It is 
probably the same person whom Paul calls 
his kinsman, i. e., of his own tribe, and 
whose salutation he conveys to the Roman 
church, Rom, 16 : 2, 

LiUke {lake), Col, 4 : 14 ; called also I-ti- 
cas, Philemon 24, A, V, A physician and 
distinguished companion of Paul, and 
writer of the third Gospel and the book of 
the Acts, The diction of these books in 
the New Testament, the gospel and the 
Acts, is such as to persuade some that he 
must have been a Jew. But Paul, writing 
to the Colossians, after mentioning all " of 



LUKE, THE GOSPEL OF 



OF THE BIBLE. 



MAACHAH 



the circumcision" who had been a com- 
fort unto him, adds the salutation of ' ' Luke, 
the beloved physician." Col. 4 : 10-14. The 
inference is that Luke was not a Jew. 
Luke is traditionally said to be a native of 
Antioch; this, however, has no better 
foundation than the confounding of him 
with that Lucius who is reckoned among 
the teachers at Antioch, Acts 13 : 1 ; from 
whom he must certainly be distinguished. 

Luke, the Gospel of. This is the third 
in order of the gospels, attributed com- 
monly to the evangelist whose name it 
bears. It is addressed to Theophilus, and 
begins by stating the object of writing, 
namely, to put on record an authentic or- 
derly account of our Lord's history from 
his birth to his ascension. 1 : 1^. Then fol- 
lows a narrative of Christ's birth with at- 
tendant circumstances, and particulars of his 
infancy and youth. 1:5-2: 52. Afterwards 
we have a notice of John's ministry, to his 
imprisonment. 3 : 1-20. And then com- 
mences the history of Christ's public min- 
istration, headed with a mention of his 
baptism, vs. 21, 22 ; his genealogy, vs. 23- 
38 : his temptation, 4 : 1-13 ; his discourses, 
miracles, and transactions in Galilee. 4 : 
14-9 : 50. The gospel closes with Christ's 
Persean ministry, his last journey to 
Jerusalem, his passion, death, resurrec- 
tion, and ascension. 9 : 51-24 : 53. Luke 
wrote his gospel in Greek. His writings 
prove him to have been a man of educa- 
tion and attainment. His style is pure, 
copious, and flowing, more classical than 
that of the other evangelists : the preface, 
indeed, is pure classical Greek. Still, there 
are many Hebraisms, and certain peculiar- 
ities of diction apparent. The writer, more- 
over, evinces a thorough acquaintance with 
Jewish customs. This is not surprising in 
so clear-sighted an observer, especially as 
he certainly visited and perhaps more than 
once resided in Palestine. He had, too, 
the close intimacy of the apostle Paul. A 
singular propriety has been observed in the 
way in which he names and describes the 
various diseases he has occasion to men- 
tion. The thoughtful comments, too, which 
he frequently makes upon the circum- 
stances he records, with the notice of the 
causes which led to particular events, ad- 
mirably correspond with what we might 
expect from a well-informed medical man. 

Lunatics. Latin luna, the moon. In- 
sane persons were supposed to be affected 
by the changes of the moon. This word is 
used twice in the New Testament — Matt. 
4 : 24 ; 17 : 15 ; but rendered epileptic in the 
R. V. The word refers to some disease af- 
fecting both the body and the mind, which 
might or might not be a sign of possession. 
By the description of Mark 9 : 17-26 it is 
inferred that this disease was epilepsy. 

Liuz UUz), almond tree. 1. The Canaanite 
name for the place in which Jacob rested 
and had a prophetic vision, and afterward 
the city of Bethel ; now Beitin. Gen. 28 : 
19 : 35 : 6 ; 48 : 3 ; Josh. 16 : 2 ; 18 : 13 ; Judg. 
1 : 23. 2. A city in the land of the Hittites, 
built by an inhabitant of the original Luz, 
who was spared when the city was sacked, 



Judg. 1 : 23 ; now Luweiziyeh, four miles 
northwest of Banias, 

Lycaonia {ly-ka-6'ni-ah). A province of 
Asia Minor which the apostle Paul twice 
visited. Acts 14 : 1-23 ; 16 : 1-6. It was sep- 
arated from Phrygia, and bounded north 
by Galatia, east by Cappadocia, south by 
Cihcia, and west "by Pisidia and Phrygia. 
Its chief towns were Iconium, Derbe, and 
Lystra. The speech of this province. Acts 
14' : 11, is supposed to have been either a 
Syrian or a corrupted Greek dialect. 

Liycia (llsh'i-ah), a region of Asia Minor, 
on the Mediterranean, between Caria and 
PamphyUa. It acquired some political 
importance, as shown by 1 Mace. 15 : 23. In 
the reign of Claudius it became a Roman 
province. Paul visited it, and preached 
the gospel in its two largest cities, Patara, 
Acts 21 : 1, and Myra, Acts 27 : 5. 

Ijydda (lyd'dah). Ezra 2 : 33. The Greek 
name for the Hebrew Lud, the present 
Lydd, now a village, but in ancient times a 
large town situated in the plain of Sharon, 
a few miles east of Joppa, on the road to 
Jerusalerq. It was burnt several times by 
the Romans, but again rebuilt. Here Peter 
healed the paralytic ^neas. Acts 9 : 32. 

liydia {lyd'i-a'h). 1. A Jewish proselyte 
from the city of Thyatira, in Lydia, en- 
gaged in the purple trade, possessed of 
wealth, and temporarily residing at Phil- 
ippi, where she heard Paul preach. Acts 
16 : 14. She accepted the gospel, was bap- 
tized together with her household, and 
Paul stayed at her house. 2. Ezek. 30 : 5, 
R. V. "Lud." where it probably refers to 
a people or place in Africa. It was also a 
coast region of Asia Minor, and formed in 
olden times the centre of a great empire 
under Croesus ; afterward it belonged suc- 
cessively to Syria, Pergamus, and the 
Romans. Its principal cities were Sardis, 
Thyatira, and Philadelphia. It is men- 
tioned in 1 Mace. 8 : 8 among the provinces 
which the Romans transferred from Syria 
to Pergamus. 

liystra {lys'trah). A city of Lycaonia, 
probably at the present Bin bir-kilisseh. 
Paul visited this place twice, the first time 
in company with Barnabas, Acts 14, when 
he was saluted as the god Mercury, but 
afterward stoned ; the second time in com- 
pany with Silas. Acts 16. Timothy was 
probably born here. 2 Tim. 3 : 11. 

M 

Maacah. {md'a-kah), oppression, 2 Sam. 3 : 
3 ; or Maachah, 1 Chron. 3 ; 2. 1. A daughter 
of Talmai, king of Geshur, was taken in 
battle by David, according to Hebrew tra- 
dition, and made one of his wives and bore 
him Absalom. 2. A small district or king- 
dom on the northeastern frontier of Pales- 
tine, in Syria, near Amraon and toward 
Mesopotamia, 2 Sam. 10 : 6 ; or Maachah, 
1 Chron. 19 : 6, 7. 

Maachah (md'a-kah). 1. The daughter 
of Nahor, Abraham's brother. Gen. 22 : 
24. 2. The father of Achish, who was king 
of Gath in Solomon's reign, 1 Kings 2 : 39 ; 
is also called Moach. 1 Sam. 27 : 2. 3. The 

145 



MACEDONIA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



MAKKEDAfl 



daughter or more probably the grand- 
daughter of Absalom, and the third -wife 
of Rehoboam, mother to Abijah and grand- 
mother to Asa, 1 Kings 15 : 2 ; 2 Chron. 11 : 
20-22 ; but the R. V. reads "Maacah." In 
2 Chron. 13 : 2she is called " Michaiah, the 
daughter of Uriel of Gibeah," " Michaiah " 
being a variation of " Maachah," and Uriel 
being the husband of Absalom's daughter 
Tamar. In the beginning of Asa's reign 
she held the dignity of queen-mother, 1 
Kings 15 : 2, 10, 13 ; 2 Chron. 11 : 20-22 ; but 
when Asa came of age she lost the dignity 
as a punishment because she had intro- 
duced idolatrj'. 2 Chron. 15 : 16. There 
are eight persons of this name mentioned 
in the Bible. 

Macedonia (mds-e-dd'ni-ah), extended 
land. Macedonia is situated in a great ba- 
sin north of Greece, nearly surrounded by 
the mountains and the sea. The third 
great world-kingdom, the Macedonian em- 
pire, received its name from this compara- 
tively little spot. Comp. Dan. 8 : 5-8, 21. 
The Romans conquered the territory from 
Pei-seus. It was at first divided Into four 
districts, afterward consolidated into one 
with its capital at Thessalonica, where the 
proconsul resided. In New Testament his- 
tory Macedonia holds an important place 
because of the labors of the apostles. Paul 
was called there by the vision of the " man 
of Macedonia," and made a most successful 
missionary tour. Acts 16 : 10; 17 : 1-12. 
He visited it again. Acts 20 : 1-6, and prob- 
ably for a third time. Comp. 1 Tim. 1:3; 
Phil. 2 : 24. His Epistles to the Thessalo- 
nians and Philippians show that the Mace- 
donian Christians exhibited many excel- 
lent traits. The details of his work can be 
studied in connection with the cities of 
Macedonia visited by him. See Neapolis, 
Philippi, ApoUdnia, Thessalonica, 
Bersea. 

Machpelah (mak-pe'lah), double cave. 
A field in Hebron containing the cave 
which Abraham bought of Ephron the 
Hittite as a burial-place for his family. A 
full account of the negotiations, carried on 
after the oriental forms still prevalent, is 
given in Gen. 23. That cave became the 
burial-place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac 
and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. Gen. 23 : 
19 ; 25 : 9 ; 49 : 29-32 ; 50 : 12, 13. The name 
does not occur except in the book of Gen- 
esis. The cave Machpelah is one of the 
Bible sites which are positively known. It 
was situated on the western slope of a hill 
in Hebron, the town lying for the most 
part to the south and west. Within an en- 
closure is a mosque, which was probably 
erected in the time of Justinian as a Chris- 
tian church. Visitors are rigidly excluded, 
but by a special firman of the sultan the 
Prince of Wales was admitted in 1862, and 
others have since entered it. Of the cave 
itself there is no trustworthy account. 
Captain Warren was told that it had not 
been entered for 600 years. The Moslems 
have a superstition that whoever attempts 
to enter it will be struck dead, and their 
fanaticism causes them to prohibit any one 
ffom making the attempt. It is thought tO 
146 



be possible that the embalmed body of Ja- 
cob may still be preserved in the cave, as 
Egyptian mummies have been foimd of as 
early a date. 

Magdala (mag'da-lah), tower. In the 
chief manuscripts and versions the name 
is given as " Magadan." Magdala is found 
only in Matt. 15 : 39. The parallel passage, 
Mark 8 : 10, has the " parts of Dalmanutha," 
on the western edge of the lake. The two 
regions or districts were probably near each 
other. The Magdala from which Mary 
Magdalene was named is perhaps identical 
with Migdal-el, Josh. 19 : 38, and may be 
the modern el-Mejdel. 

Magi, great, powerful. Wise men, "rab- 
mag," Jer. 39 : 3, which is used as a proper 
name, and properly signifies the prince 
Magus, or chief of the Magi. In Babylon 
the magi were known by the name of 
"wise men" and" Chaldeans." Isa. 44 
25 ; Jer. 50 : 35 : Dan. 2 : 12-27 ; 4 : 6, 18 ; 5 : V 
8, 11, 12, 15. To their number, doubtless, 
belonged the "astrologers" and "star- 
gazers," Isa. 47 : 13 ; also the " soothsayers ' 
and the " dream interpreters." Dan. 1 : 20 
2 : 2, 27 ; 4 : 7 ; 5 : 7, 11. Daniel describes 
them as men of wisdom, Dan. 1 : 20 ; he 
intercedes for them with Nebuchadnezzar, 
Dan. 2 : 24 ; and accepts a position as their 
chief or master. Dan. 5 : 11. The same im- 
pression of dignity, truthfulness, and aspi- 
ration after the true rehgion is conveyed 
by the narrative in Matt. 2 : 1-14. Whence 
tliese Magi came we do not certainly know, 
but probably from the lands of the Jewish 
captivity on the Euphrates. 

Magic was the art of influencing future 
events and changing their course by dark 
and secret means. Of the rehgion of the 
Egyptians, Chaldeeans, Persians, etc., magic 
formed an essential element, and of the 
Egyptian magicians, in their conflict with 
Moses and Aaron, Exodus gives a vivid ac- 
count. 7 : 11, 12, 22 ; 8 : 7. Of the religion 
of the Jews magic did not only not form a 
part, but the law forbade the consulting of 
magicians, under penalty of death. Lev. 
19 : 31 ; 20 : 6. Nevertheless, from their 
neighbors magic crept in among the Israel- 
ites. The most remarkable instance is that 
of Saul and the sorceress of Endor. 1 Sam. 
28 : 3-20. Also in the New Testament we 
find it mentioned. Acts 8 : 9. 

Malianaim (md'ha-nd'im), two camps. 
A town east of the Jordan, named by Ja- 
cob. Gen, 32 : 1, 2. It was assigned to the 
Levites, Josh. 13 : 26, 30 ; 21 : 38 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 
80, and lay within the territory of Gad, 
north of the torrent Jabbok. Mahanaim 
became in the time of the monarchy a 
place of mark. 2 Sam. 2 : 8, 12 ; 2 Sam. 19 : 
32. Abner fixed Ishbosheth's residence 
there, and David took refuge in it when 
driven out of the western part of his king- 
dom by Absalom. 2 Sam. 17 : 24 ; 1 Kings 
2 : 8. 'Mahanaim was the seat of one of 
Solomon's commissariat officers, 1 Kings 4 : 
14, and it is alluded to in his Song, 6:13. 
Dr. Merrill locates Mahanaim in the Jor- 
dan valley, six miles north of the Jabbok, 
at a ruin called Sulci khat. 

Makkedab {mak-Wdah), place of shep' 



MALACHI 



OF THE BIBLE. 



MANNA. 



herds. A royal city of the Canaanites in 
the plains of Judah, where Joshua executed 
the five confederate kings. Josh. 10 : 10 ; 
12 : 16 ; 15 : 41. Warren would identify it 
with el-MUghdr. 

Malachi {mdl'a-ki), messenger of Jehovah. 
The last of the prophets of the Old Testa- 
ment, and called "the seal" because his 
prophecies form the closing book of the 
canon of the Old Testament. Of his per- 
sonal life nothing is known but what can 
be gleaned from his book. He flourished 
after the captivity, later than Haggai and 
Zechariah, at a time when the temple was 
completed, and was probably a contempo- 
rary of Nehemiah, b. c. 433. His prophe- 
cies are at once denunciatory of prevailing 
vices, and close with a prophecy of the 
coming of Messiah, and foretells that Elijah 
will return as a forerunner of Messiah — a 
prediction which found its striking fulfil- 
ment by the mission of John the Baptist. 
Mai. 4:5; Luke 1 : 17 ; Matt. 11 : 14 ; 17 : 12. 

Mallows. The Hebrew word malluahh, 
rendered " mallows," R. V. "salt-wort," Job 
30 : 4, is derived from melahh = " salt ; " and 
seems to designate a sahne plant — perhaps 
a species of salt-wort ; or perhaps the gar- 
den mallow, reared in Egypt, and boiled 
with meat, is intended. 

Mammon {mam'mon), wealth. A Chal- 
dee or Syriac word used by our Lord in ut- 
tering two severe admonitions. In the 
one, Matt. 6 : 24, he would intend a carnal 
worldly x>osse8sion-loving spirit, which un- 
fits a man for the high service of God. In 
the second place, Luke 16 : 9, 11, mammon 
is more explicitly wealth, called "mam- 
mon of unrighteousness" because it is the 
substance of a system, an avaricious sys- 
tem, which never could have existed had 
original righteousness not been lost. 

Manasseh {ma-nas'seh), forgetting. 1. 
The first-born of Joseph. When he and 
his brother Ephraim were boys, and Jacob, 
their grandfather, was about to die, Joseph 
took them into the patriarch's presence to 
receive his blessing. . Gen. 48 : 5-20. Noth- 
ing further is known of the personal his- 
tory of Manasseh. The eastern part of the 
tribe of Manasseh prospered much and 
spread to Mount Hermon, but they finally 
mixed with the Canaanites, adopted their 
idolatry, became scattered as Bedouins in 
the desert, and were the first to be carried 
away into captivity by the kings of Assyria. 

1 Chron. 5 : 25. The western Manasseh, of 
which only a few glimpses are visible in 
the later history of Israel, always showed 
itself on the right side ; as, for instance, in 
the cases of Asa, 2 Chron. 15 : 9 ; Hezekiah, 

2 Chron. 30 : 1, 11, 18, and Josiah, 2 Chron. 
34 : 6j 9. 2. Son and successor of Hezekiah, 
king of Judah, ascended the throne at the 
age of twelve years, b. c. 696. The earlier 
part of his reign was distinguished for acts 
of impiety and cruelty, 2 Kings 21, and he 
succeeded in drawing his subjects away 
from the Lord to such an extent that the 
only kind of worship which was not al- 
lowed in Judah was that of Jehovah. 2 
Kings 21 : 2-9. Having supported the Bab- 
ylonian Viceroy in his reyolt against Ag- 



Syria, he was at last taken captive by the 
Assyrian kiug and ignominiously trans- 
ported to Babylon. Upon his repentance, 
however, he was liberated, and returned to 
his capital, where he died b. c. 641, after 
having done much to repair the evils of 
his former hfe. 2 Chron. 33 : 1-20. 

3. The territory of Manasseh occupied 
by a tribe descended from Joseph, and 
divided into two portions — one east of the 
Jordan, and the other west of it. 1. East 
of the Jordan. — The country of Manas- 
seh east of the Jordan included half of 
Gilead, the Hauran, Bashan, and Argob. 
1 Chron. 5 : 18-23. The extensive pastures 
of Gilead and Bashan gave the best scope 
for the half-nomad and herdsman's life 
led by this portion of the tribe. Ps. 68: 
15. The people were powerful and brave, 
taking a leading part in the wars of Gid- 
eon, of Jephthah, and of David. See also 
Gilead and Kashan. 2. West of the Jor- 
dan.— The. portion of the half-tribe of Ma- 
nasseh on the west of the Jordan extended 
from the Mediterranean to the Jordan, 
and lay between Asher and Issachar on 
the north and Ephraim on the south. Josh. 
17 : 7-10. They also gained some towns 
in Carmel within the bounds of Issachar, 
probably by capturing them from the an- 
cient Canaanites. Josh. 17 : 11-18. The 
dominant position of Ephraim seems to 
have obscured the power of Manasseh, and 
tliis portion of their country is frequently 
joined with Ephraim in the bibUcal allu- 
sions. 

Mandrakes (Heb. love plants). Modern 
Bible scholars apply this name to a mem- 
ber of the potato family {Mandragora offici- 
nalis). This is a stemless plant with a disk 
of leaves almost as long, but not nearly as 
broad, as those of the garden rhubarb, 
which it somewhat resembles, except in its 
blossoms. The odor of the plant seems to 
be enjoyed by Orientals, Song of Sol. 7 : 
13, and by some Occidentals. Many strange 
superstitions are connected with this plant, 
and the idea of Rachel's time still prevails 
that conception is ensured by eating the 
fruit of this plant. Gen. 30 : 14-16. 

Manna {what is this 1 Heb. mdn). The 
chief food of the Israelites in the wilder- 
ness. Ex. 16 : 14-36 ; Num. 11 : 7-9 ; Deut. 
8:3, 16 ; Josh. 5 : 12 ; Ps. 78 : 24, 25. The 
most remarkable things about the manna 
of the Israelites were : 1. That double the 
quantity was supplied on the day preced- 
ing the Sabbath or seventh day ; 2. That 
on the Sabbath or seventh day none was 
furnished ; 3. That what they kept from 
the sixth day to the seventh was sweet and 
good, while what they kept from any other 
day to the next day bred worms and be- 
came offensive. These miracles were 
wrought in attestation of the sanctity of 
the Sabbath. The manna of the Jews is 
described as "a small round thing," as 
small as "the hoarfrost on the ground," 
" hke coriander seed" (in shape doubtless, 
perhaps in size and density), "of the color 
of bdellium," " and the taste of it like wa- 
fers made with honey." For forty years this 
iijiraculous supply of food was iurniished 

147 



MAON 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



MARRIAGE 



daily to between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 of 
people. Deut. 29 : 5, 6. It ceased while 
they were encamped at Gilgal, immediately 
after they had celebrated the passover for 
the first time in the Land of Promise. To 
commemorate this wonderful miracle a 
golden pot was provided, Ex. 16 : 33 ; Heb. 
9 : 4, and an omer (or one man's portion) 
of the manna put up for preservation and 
placed in or near the ark, that succeeding 
generations might see with their own eyes 
the very substance on which their fathers 
were miraculously fed in their long and 
perilous joumeyings from Egypt to Canaan. 
The manna which is now used in medicine 
as a mild laxative is the juice of the flow- 
ering ash, a native of Sicily, Calabria, and 
other parts of the south of Europe. It is 
either naturally concreted, or exsiccated, 
and purified by art. The best manna is in 
oblong pieces or flakes of a pale yellow 
color; light, friable, and somewhat trans- 
parent. It has no characteristics in com- 
mon with the manna miraculously sup- 
phed to the Israehtes while journejdng 
through the wilderness. "Wherever the 
manna is referred to in Scripture, it is in- 
variably regarded as a miraculous food 
sent directly from God. The Lord Jesus 
accepted the manna as a type of himself— 
the living bread which came down from 
heaven. " For the bread of God is he which 
cometh down from heaven and giveth hfe 
unto the world." John 6 : 33, 48, 50. The 
phrase " hidden manna," Rev. 2 : 17, figura- 
tively describes the spiritual food which 
Christ supplies to those who believe in him 
and live by faith in him. 

Maon {md'on). 1. Founder of Beth-zur, 
1 Chron. 2 : 45. 2. One of the cities of Ju- 
dah, in the mountains, Josh. 15 : 55, and a 
district where David hid from Saul, and 
near which Nabal had possessions. 1 Sam. 
23 : 24, 25. The name of Maon still exists 
in Main, a lofty conical hill 100 feet high, 
about eight miles south from Hebron. 

Marah (md'rah), bitterness. A place in 
the wilderness of Shur or Etham, three 
days' journey. Num. 33 : 8, 9, from the place 
at which the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. 
There was at Marah a spring of bitter wa- 
ter, sweetened subsequently by the casting 
in of a tree which " the Lord s]iowed " to 
Moses. Ex. 15 : 23, 24 ; Num. 33 : 8, 9. Prob- 
ably 'Ain Hawarah, 47 miles from Ayun 
Moiisa, where is a spring. 

Maranatha {mdr'a-nCith'ah). An Aramaic 
expression signifying "Oui' Lord will 
come." 1 Cor. 16 f22. 

Mareshah {ma-re' shah), top of a hill. A 
city of Judah in the low country. Josh. 
15 : 44. It was fortified and garrisoned by 
Rehoboam after the rupture with the north- 
ern kingdom. 2 Chron. 11 : 8. Near it the 
great battle between Zerah and Asa was 
fought. 2 Chron. 14 : 9-12. It is mentioned 
once or twice in the history of the Macca- 
bsean struggles. 1 Mace. 5 ; 2 Mace. 12 : 35. 

Mark {mark). John whose surname was 
Mark, Acts 12 : 12, was the son of Mary, a 
woman of piety who lived at Jerusalem. 
The disciples occasionally assembled at her 
house for prayer, and she was sister to Bar- 

148 



nabas. Col. 4 : 10. He is also called Mar- 
cus. Peter styles Mark his son, 1 Pet. 5 : 
13 : meaning his spiritual son— that he was 
converted by that apostle. Mark left Jeru- 
salem for Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, 
Acts 12 : 25, and accompanied them on their 
first missionary journey. He left them at 
Perga and returned to Jerusalem. This 
afterward led to a serious dispute be- 
tween Paul and Barnabas. Acts 13 : 5, 
13 ; 15 : 39. They therefore separated, 
Mark sailing with his uncle Barnabas to 
Cyprus. Acts 15 : 36-39. At a later period 
he was again with Paul during his first im- 
prisomnent at Rome, Col. 4 : 10, and he re- 
gained Paul' s confidence. 2 Tim. 4 : 11. 
We find him also with Peter, 1 Pet. 5 : 13, 
with whom he is said to have travelled, 
and to have been his amanuensis. Noth- 
ing further of him is recorded in the Scrip- 
ture; but we may identify him with the 
author of the second Gospel, and may read- 
ily believe ecclesiastical history which tells 
us that he was bishop of the church in 
Alexandria. Whether he died a natural 
death or by martyrdom is uncertain, 

Mark, the Gospel of. The universal 
consent of the ancient church ascribed the 
second gospel to John Mark. It has also 
been said that he wrote under the superin- 
tendence of Peter. The arrangement of 
this gospel api)ears to be : 1. A short intro- 
duction nottcing the mission of John Bap- 
tist. 1 : 1-8. 2. The pubUc ministry of 
Christ, his discourses and actions in Galilee, 
prefaced by an account of his baptism. 
1 : 9-9 : 50. 3. Our Lord's last journejings 
toward Jerusalem, with the narrative of 
his passion, death, resurrection, and ascen- 
sion. 10 to 16 : 20. It exhibits Christ as the 
spiritual conqueror and wonder-worker, 
the lion of the tribe of Judah, filling the 
people with amazement and fear. Mark 
introduces several Latin terms; he even 
substitutes Roman money for Greek, 12 : 
42, which Luke does not, and notices that 
Simon of Cyrene was the father of Alex- 
ander and Rufus, 15 : 21, who probably Avere 
Christians in Rome. Rom. 16 : 13. It is, 
therefore, most likely that the Gospel was 
written in that city. 

Market, or Market Place. In the 
Old Testament this word occurs only once, 
Ezek. 27 : 13, A. V. ; in the New Testament 
oftener. Matt. 23 : 7 ; Mark 12 : 38 ; Luke 11 : 
43 ; 20 : 46 ; Acts 16 : 19, etc., and we learn 
from Matt. 20 : 3 that not only were all 
kinds of produce offered for sale here, but 
hither resorted also the laborers to find em- 
ployment. It was frequented by business 
men and by crowds of idlers and loungers. 
In a strictly Oriental city, such as Jerusa- 
lem, the market had not, hke the forum, 
this character of being the centre of all 
pubUc life. Still it was always a lively 
place, generally situated just within the 
gate, and the principal scene of trade and 
traffic. 

Marriage. The institution of marriage 
dates from the time of man's original crea- 
tion. Gen. 2 : 18-25. The marriage bond 
is not to be dissolved except on the strong, 
est grounds. Comp. Matt. 19 : 9. On the 



MARS' HILL 



OF THE BIBLE. 



MARTHA 



relation of the wife to the husband, see 
1 Cor. 11 : 8, 9 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 13. In the patri- 
archal age polygamy prevailed. Gen. 16: 

4 ; 25 : 1, 6 ; 28 : 9 ; 29 : 23, 28 ; 1 Chron. 7 : 
14. Divorce also prevailed in the patri- 
aFchal age, though but one instance of it 
is recorded. Gen. 21 : 14. The Mosaic law 
discouraged polygamy, restricted divorce, 
and aimed to enforce purity of life. It was 
the best civil law possible at the time, and 
sought to bring the people up to the pure 
standard of the moral law. Our Lord and 
his apostles re-estabhshed the integrity 
and sanctity of marriage, Matt. 19 : 4, 5 ; 

5 : 32 ; 19 : 9 ; Rom. 7 : 3 ; 1 Cor. 7 : 10, 11, 
and enforced moral purity, Heb. 13 ; 4, etc., 
especially by the fonnal condemnation of 
fornication. Acts 15 : 20. In the Hebrew 
commonwealth an Israehte and a non- 
Israelite were not allowed to marry, ex- 
cept in a few special cases, and Israelites 
closely related could not marry. See Lev. 18 : 
6-18, and for exceptions, Deut. 25 : 5-9. The 
law which regulates this exception has 
been named the "levirate" law, from the 
Latin levir, " brother-in-law." The choice 
of the bride devolved not on the bride- 
groom himself, but on his relations or on a 
friend deputed for this purpose. The con- 
sent of the maiden was sometimes asked, 
Gen. 24 : 58 ; but this appears to have been 
subordinate to the previous consent of the 
father an^he adult brothers. Gen. 24 : 51 ; 
34 : 11, THe act of betrothal was celebrated 
by a feast, and among the more modern 
Jews it is the custom in some parts for the 
bridegroom to place a ring on the bride's 
finger. The ring was regarded among the 
Hebrews as a token of fidelity. Gen. 41 : 42, 
and of adoption into a family. Luke 15 : 
22. During the interval between betrothal 
and marriage, the bride lived with her 
friends ; her communications with her fu- 
ture husband were carried on through a 
friend deputed for the purpose, termed the 
"friend of the bridegroom." John 3 : 29. 
She was regarded as the wife of her future 
husband ; hence faithlessness on her part 
was punishable with death, Deut. 22 : 23, 24, 
the husband having, however, the option 
of " putting her away." Deut. 24 : 1 ; Matt. 
1 : 19. At the marriage ceremony the bride 
removed from her father's house to that of 
the bridegroom or his father. The bride- 
groom prepared himself for the occasion by 
putting on a festival dress, and especially by 
placing on his head a handsome nuptial 
turban. Ps. 45 : 8 ; Song of Sol. 4 : 10, 11. The 
bride was veiled. Her robes were white, 
Rev. 19 : 8, and sometimes embroidered 
with gold thread, Ps. 45 : 13, 14, and cov- 
ered with perfumes, Ps. 45 : 8 ; she was 
further decked out with jewels. Isa. 49: 
18 ; 61 : 10 ; Rev. 21 : 2. When the fixed 
hour arrived, which was generally late in 
the evening, the bridegroom set forth from 
his house attended bv his groomsmen (A. 
V. *' comi)anions,'' Judg. 14 : 11 ; " children 
of the bride-chamber," Matt. 9 : 15), pre- 
ceded by a band of musicians or singers, 
Gen. 31 : 27 ; Jer. 7 : 34 ; 16 : 9, and accom- 
panied by persons bearing flambeaux, Jer. 
25:10; 2 Esdr. 10:2; Matt 25:7; Rev. 18: 

10 



23, and took the bride with the friends to 
his own house. At the house a feast was 
prepared, to which all the friends and 
neighbors were invited. Gen. 29 : 22 ; Mait. 
22 : 1-10 ; Luke 14 : 8 ; John 2 : 2, and the 
festivities were protracted for seven or even 
fourteen days. Judg. 14 : 12 ; Tob. 8 : 19. 
The guests were sometimes furnished with 
fitting robes. Matt. 22 : 11, and the feast was 
enlivened with riddles, Judg. 14 : 12, and 
other amusements. The last act in the cer- 
emonial was the conducting of the bride 
to the bridal chamber, Judg. 15 : 1 ; Joel 
2 : 16, where a canopy was prepared. Ps. 
19 : 5 ; Joel 2 : 16. The bride was still com- 
pletely veiled, so that the deception 
practiced on Jacob, Gen. 29 : 23, was not 
difficult. A newly married man was ex- 
empt from military service, or from any 
pubUc business which might draw him 
away from his home, for the space of a 
year, Deut. 24 : 5 ; a similar privilege was 
granted to him who was betrothed. Deut. 
20:7. 

The conditions of married life. — The wife 
appears to have taken her part in family 
aflfairs, and even to have enjoyed a consid- 
erable amount of independence. Judg. 4 : 
18 ; 1 Sam. 25 : 14 ; 2 Kings 4 : 8, etc. In the 
New Testament the mutual relations of 
husband and wife are a subject of frequent 
exhortation. Eph. 5 : 22, 33 ; Col. 3 : 18, 19 ; 
Titus 2 : 4, 5 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 1-7. The duties of 
the wife in the Hebrew household were 
multifarious, Gen. 18 : 6 ; 2 Sam. 13 : 8, the 
distribution of food, Prov. 31 : 15, the man- 
ufacture of the clothing, Prov. 31 : 13, 21, 
22 ; and the legal rights of the wife are no- 
ticed in Ex. 21 : 10, under the three heads 
of food, raiment, and duty of marriage or 
conjugal right. Marriage is used to illus- 
trate the spiritual relationship between 
God and his people. Isa. 54 : 5 ; Jer. 3 : 14 ; 
Hos. 2 : 19. In the New Testament the 
image of the bridegroom is transferred 
from Jehovah to Christ, Matt. 9 : 15 : John 
3 : 29, and that of the bride to the church. 
2 Cor. 11 : 2 ; Rev. 19 : 7 ; 21 : 2, 9. For fuU 
account, see BisseU's Biblical Antiquities. 

Mars' Hill (mdrz hW), or Areopagus 
{dr'e-6p'a-giis or d're-&p'a-gus). Acts 17 : 19, 
34. This was a rocky height in Athens, op- 
posite the western end of the Acropolis. 
From this spot Paul delivered his address 
to the men of Athens. Acts 17 : 22-31. He 
also " disputed " in the " market," or agora, 
" daily," 17 : 17, which was south of the 
Areopagus, in the valley lying between 
this hill and those of the Acropolis, the 
Pnyx, and the Museum. 

Martha (mdr'thah), bitterness. One of 
the family at Bethany whom Jesus loved. 
Martha has been supposed the elder sister, 
as the house is called hers, and she under- 
took the special charge of entertaining the 
Lord. Luke 10 : 38-42. Some have imag- 
ined that she was the wife or widow of 
Simon the leper; which would account 
for the place where Mary anointed Christ 
being termed his house. Matt. 26 : 6, 7 ; 
Mark 14 : 3 ; John 12 : 1-3. Martha made 
a noble confession when she met the Sa- 
viour on his way to raise her brother Laza- 

149 



MARY 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



MEALS 



rus ; though even her expectation reached 
not to the mighty work he was about to do. 
John 11 : 1-46. Nothing certain is known 
of her later history. 

Mary {md'ry). The name of several wo- 
men in the New Testament. 1. The mother 
of our Lord, She was, hke Joseph, of the 
tribe of Judah and of the hneage of Da- 
vid. Ps. 132 : 11 ; Luke 1 : 32 ; Rom. 1 : 3. 
She was connected by marriage, Luke 1 : 
36, with Elisabeth, who was of the tribe of 
Levi and of the lineage of Aaron. She 
was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth ; but 
before her marriage she became with child 
by the Holy Ghost, and became the mother 
of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. 
She was at Jerusalem with Joseph, at 
Cana and at Capernaum. John 2 : 12 ; 
Matt. 4 : 13 ; 13 : 54, 55 ; Mark 6 : 1-4. Lastly 
she was at the cross, and was there coni- 
mended to the care of the disciple whom 
Jesus loved : " Woman, behold thy son." 
And from that hour John assures us that 
he took her to his own abode. In the days 
succeeding the ascension of Christ Mary met 
with the disciples in the upper room, Acts 
1 : 14, waiting for the coming of the Holy 
Spirit with power. Such is all the authentic 
history we have of the "blessed among 
women," taught, as no other woman was, 
the hard lessons which were to guide her 
to her Son's eternal kingdom. Some of 
them were joyful ; and some were very 
grievous ; but she learned them thoroughly, 
till she loved the Lord Jesus as her Saviour 
far more than as her Son. 2. The wife of 
Cleophas, was present at the crucifixion and 
burial of our Lord, Matt. 27 : 56, 61, was 
among those who went to embalm him, 
Mark 16 : 1-10, was among the earliest to 
whom the news of his resurrection was an- 
nounced, Luke 24 : 6, 10, and on her way to 
the disciples with the intelligence she met 
her risen Lord and worshipped him. Matt. 
28 : 1, 9. 3. The mother of John Mark, Acts 
12 : 12, and aunt to Barnabas, Col. 4 : 10, a 
godly woman residing at Jerusalem at 
whose house the disciples were convened 
the night Peter was miraculously deliv- 
ered from prison. 4. The sister of Lazarus 
and Martha, and a devoted friend and dis- 
ciple of our Saviour, from whom she re- 
ceived the testimony that she had chosen 
the good part which should not be taken 
from her. Luke 10 : 41, 42. Compared with 
her sister she appears of a more contem- 
plative turn of mind and more occupied 
with the "one thing" needful. John 11 : 
1 ; 12 : 2. 5. Mary Magdalene, or Mar>^ of 
Magdala. Luke 8 : 2. The general impres- 
sion that she was an unchaste woman is 
entirely without foundation. Having been 
cured "of a demoniacal possession by our 
Saviour, she became his follower, Luke 8 : 
2, 3, and showed her attachment to him 
to the last. She was at his crucifixion, 
John 19 : 25, and burial, Mark 15 : 47, and 
was among those who had prepared the 
materials to embabn him, Mark 16 : 1, and 
who first went to the sepulchre after the 
resurrection ; and she was the first to whom 
the risen Redeemer appeared, Mark 16 : 9, 
and his conversation with her has an in- 

150 



terest and pathos tmsurpassed in history. 
John 20 : 11-18. 6. A Christian woman in 
Rome to whom Paul sends his salutation, 
Rom. 16 : 6. 

Matthew (mdth'thu). Derived from the 
same word as Matthias, Acts 1 : 23, 26 
(gift of God), apostle, and author of the 
first gospel. His original name was Levi, 
Mark 2 : 14 ; Luke 5 : 27, 29, which, like that 
of Simon and of Saul, was changed on his 
being called to the apostleship. He first 
appears in the gospels as a publican or tax- 
gatherer near the Sea of Galilee, and the last 
mention of him is in the list of those who 
met in the upper room at Jerusalem after 
the ascension of our Lord. Acts 1 : 13. 
The tradition of his martyrdom in Ethi- 
opia is not very trustworthy. 

The Gospel according to Matthew 
was probablj" written in Palestine, and for 
Jewish Christians. It was probably first 
composed in Hebrew — i. e., Syro-Chaldaic, 
or Western Aramaic, the dialect spoken in 
Palestine by the Jewish Christians, and 
then later in Greek, as we now possess it. 
The date of its composition was clearly be- 
fore the destruction of Jerusalem, Matt. 
24, and vet some time after the crucifixion 
of Christ. Matt. 27 : 7, 8 ; 28 : 15. Some of 
the ancients give the eighth year after the 
ascension as the date, others the fifteenth. 
We would place it between 60 and 66 a. d. 
— a period during which both Mark and 
Luke probably wrote their gospeS. 

Matthias {mdth-thVas .or mdt-thVas). A 
disciple of Christ, and witness of his min- 
istry from the commencement, who was 
appointed by lot to supply the vacancy in 
the company of the tn^elve apostles occa- 
sioned by the apostacy of Judas. Acts 1 : 
21-26. Of his after life and ministry noth- 
ing is known with certainty. 

Mazzaroth (mdz'za-rdth), the twelve signs. 
The margin of the A. V. of Job 38 :32 gives 
Mazzaroth as the name of the twelve signs 
of the zodiac. 

Meals. The Hebrews took a light meal 
in the forenoon, consisting of bread, milk, 
cheese, etc. 1 Kings 20:16; Ruth 2:14; 
Luke 14 : 12. The dinner was at mid-day 
among the ancient Egyptians. Gen. 43 : 
16. Supper, after the labors of the day 
were over, appears to have been the prin- 
cipal meal among the Hebrews, as it was 
among the Greeks and Romans. Mark 6 : 
21 ; Luke 14 : 16, 24 ; John 12 : 2. In eating, 
knives and forks were not used, but each 
morsel of food was conveyed from the dish 
to the mouth by the hand. This mode of 
eating made it necessary to wash the hands 
before and after meals. Ruth 2 : 14 ; Prov. 
26 : 15 ; John 13 : 26 ; Matt. 15 : 2, 20 ; Luke 
11 : 38. In ancient times, at formal enter- 
tainments, every one seems to have had 
his separate portion of meat placed before 
him. Gen. 43 : 34 : 1 Sam. 1 : 4, 5 ; 9 : 23, 24 ; 
in later times ever>^ one helped himself 
from the dish nearest to him. Matt. 26: 
23. The Orientals do not drink durinj? 
meals, but afterwards water or wine is 
handed round. Matt. 26 : 27. The Hebrews 
seem to have had two modes of sitting; 
seldom used seats or chairs, like the ancient 



MEASURES AND WEIGHTS OF THE BIBLE. 



MEAT-OFFERING 



Egyptians, but they sat on the floor, and the 
meal was laid on a cloth spread on the floor, 
or on a table raised only a few inches. 
During the captivity the Jews acquired 
the Persian practice of reclining at meals 
upon couches, or upon mats or cushions, 
around the tables, in such a way that the 
head of every person approached the 
bosom of the one who recUned next above 
him. John 13 : 23 ; Luke 7 : 38. In the 
time of Christ it was common before every 
meal to give thanks. Matt. 14 : 19 ; 15 : 36. 

Measures and Weights. The follow- 
ing is condensed from ISchaffs Dictionary : 
The Jewish law contains two precepts re- 
specting weights and measures. The first. 
Lev. 19 : 35, 36, refers to the standards kept 
in the sanctuary, and the second, Deut. 25 : 
13-15, to copies of them kept by every 
family for its own use. The standards of 
the weights and measures preserved in the 
temple were destroyed with the sacred edi- 
fice, and afterward the measures and 
weights of the people among whom the 
Jews dwelt were adopted ; which, of course, 
adds to the perplexities of the subject. 

I. Measures of Length. — The Hebrews, 
like all other ancient nations, took the 
standard of their measures of length from 
the human body. They made use, how- 
ever, only of the finger, the hand, and the 
arm, not of the foot or the pace. The 
handbreadth or palm, 1 Kings 7 : 26, was 
four digits, or the breadth of the four fin- 
gers — from three to three and a half inches. 
A span. Lam. 2 : 20 A, V., but the R. V. 
reads, " the children that are dandled in 
the hands," which expresses the distance 
across the hand from the extremity of the 
thumb to the extremity of the little finger, 
when they are stretched as far apart as pos- 
sible, say nine to ten inches. A cubit, the 
distance from the elbow to the extremity of 
the middle finger, or about eighteen inches. 
The different expressions used in the Old 
Testament about this measure — such as 
"after the cubit of a man," Deut. 3: 11; 
" after the first measure," 2 Chron. 3:3; 
"a great cubit," Ezek. 41 :8 — show that it 
varied. A fathom. Acts 27 : 28, was from 
six to six and a half feet. The measuring- 
reed, Ezek. 42 : 16, comprised six cubits, or 
from ten to eleven feet, and the measuring- 
line, Zech. 2 : 1, a hundred and forty-six 
feet. The furlong, Luke 24 : 13, was a 
Greek measure, and nearly the same as at 
present — viz., one-eighth of a mile, or forty 
rods. The mile, mentioned only once. 
Matt. 5 : 41, belonged to the Roman system 
of measurement, as stadium to the Greek. 
The Roman mile was 1612 yards. The 
Jewish mile was longer or shorter, in ac- 
cordance with the longer or shorter pace 
in use in the various parts of the country. 
The Sabbath day's journey, Acts 1 : 12, was 
about seven-eighths of a mile, and the 
term denoted the distance which Jew- 
ish tradition said one might travel without 
a violation of the law. Ex. 16 : 29. The 
term, a day's journey. Num. 11 : 31 ; Luke 
2 : 44, probably indicated no certain dis- 
tance, but was taken to be the ordinary 
4ist»»ce wijicij a person in ttj§ East trav- 



els on foot, or on horseback or camel, in 
the prosecution of a journey — about 20 
miles. 

II. Measures of Ca;pacity. — 1. Dry. A cab 
or kab (hollow), 2 Kings 6 : 25, one-third of 
an omer, or two pints. An omer (heap, 
sheaf), Ex. 16 : 36, one-tenth of an ephah, 
or six pints. The seah (measure), Gen. 18 : 
6 ; Matt. 13 : 33 ; Luke 13 : 21, one-third of 
an ephah, or 20 pints, was the ordinary 
measure for household purposes. The 
ephah— a word of Egyptian origin, but 
often occurring in the Old Testament, Ex. 
16 : 36 ; Lev. 5 : 11 ; Num. 5 : 15 ; Judg. 6 : 19, 
etc. — ten omers, or three seahs, or 60 pints. 
The homer (heap), Isa, 5 : 10, when used for 
dry measure, 100 omers, or 600 pints. The 
Greek word translated "bushel," Matt. 5: 
15, is supposed by some to answer to the 
Hebrew word seah. The Roman bushel 
was very nearly the same with the English 
peck. 2. Liquid. The log (basin). Lev. 14: 
10, six egg-shells full, one-tenth of a hin, 
or nearly one pint. The hin — a word of 
Egyptian origin, but often used in the Old 
Testament, Ex. 29 : 40 ; 30 : 24 ; Num. 15 : 4, 
etc. — one-sixth of a bath or ten pints. The 
bath (measured), the largest of the liquid 
measures, contained one-tenth of a homer, 
seven and a half gallons, or 60 pints. 1 
Kings 7 : 26 ; 2 Chron. 2 : 10 ; Isa. 5 : 10. The 
firkin, John 2 : 6, was a Greek measure, 
containing seven and a half gallons. 

III. Weights. — In the time of Moses the 
common weight was a shekel, which sig- 
nifies a " weight." There wore also the 
parts of a shekel, as the fourth, third, and 
half. The shekel, the maneh, and the tal- 
ent, were all originally names of weights. 
When the phrase "shekel of the sanctu- 
ary " is used, Ex. 30 : 13, it means, not that 
this was different from the common shekel, 
but that it was a true standard weight, ac- 
cording to the authorized standard pre- 
served in the sanctuary, or, as we should 
say, a sealed weight or measure, to denote 
that its accuracy is certified by authority. 
To weigh substances the Jews had : the 
shekel, Amos 8 : 5, half an ounce avoirdu- 
pois. The mineh or " maneh," A. V., Ezek. 
45 : 12, 100 shekels or 50 ounces, equal to 
three pounds two ounces avoirdupois. The 
talent, 2 Sam, 12 : 30, 3000 shekels, 30 ma- 
neh, 1500 ounces, equal to 93 pounds 12 
ounces avoirdupois. See Money. 

Meat, Meats. This word as it occurs 
in our version is frequently used for food 
in general. Lev. 22 : 11, 13, R. V., " bread ; " 
1 Sam. 20 : 5, 34 ; 2 Sam. 3 : 35, R. V.," bread," 
and elsewhere, or for what is allowed to 
be eaten, proper for sustenance. Gen. 1 : 29, 
30, and 9 : 3, where the R. V. reads " food." 
More specially, though perhaps sometimes 
indicating, as in our ordinary employment 
of the term, flesh-meat. Gen. 27 : 4, 7, 31 , it is 
almost exclusively applied to vegetables or 
vegetable products. Thus a meat-offering, 
R. V. " meal-offering," was a kind of cake 
made of flour and oil. Lev. 2. 

Meat-offering. R. V. "meal-offering." 
Lev. 2 and 6 : 14-23. David gives its mean- 
iiig. 1 Chron. 29 : 10-21. It was a meal- 
Qftering. Tlw§ involyes neither of the 

151 



MEDEBA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



MELITA 



main ideas of sacrifice — ^the atonement for 
sin and self-dedication to God. It takes 
them for granted, and is based on them. 
Rather it expresses gratitude and love to 
God as the giver of alL Accordingly the 
meal-offering, properly so called, was in- 
troduced by the sin-offering, which repre- 
sented the' idea atonement, and to have 
formed an appendage to the bumt-offering, 
which represented the sacrifice. The un- 
bloody offerings offered alone did not prop- 
erly belong to the regular meal-offering; 
they were usually substitutes for other of- 
ferings. Comp. Lev. 5 : 11 ; Num. 5 : 15. 

Medeba [mid'e-bah), ivaters of quiet. A 
city of Moab, first mentioned with Hesh- 
bon and Dibon. Num. 21 : 30. It was after- 
ward taken by the Israelites and allotted 
to the tribe of Reuben, Josh. 13 : 16 ; held 
by the Ammonites during the reign of Da- 
vid, 1 Chrou. 19 : 7-15, it later again re- 
verted to Moab. Isa. 15 : 2. After the re- 
turn from the captivity it was altemately 
in the possession of the Jews and of the 
Gentiles. 

lledes and 3Iedia (me'di-ah), name. 
The same as Madai, ''middle land," one of 
Japheth's sons. Gen. 10 : 2. The Hebrew 
word thus translated " Madai " is also ren- 
dered "Medes," 2 Kings 17 : 6, etc., and 
" Media," Esth. 1 : 3, etc., and also " Mede." 
Dan. 11:1. In the period of which He- 
rodotus writes the people of Media were 
called Aryans. Its greatest length from 
north to south was 550 miles, its average 
breadth 250 to 300 miles, and its area 150,- 
000 square miles. ]SIedia was divided orig- 
inally into six provinces, which in Greek 
and Roman times were reduced to two. 
The early historj' of the Medes is very ob- 
scure. Their origin is given in Gen. 10 : 2, 
and they were connected with the captivity 
of IsraeL 2 Kings 17 : 6 ; 18 : 11. Isaiah, in 
his prophecy against Babylon, reveals the 
agency and "character of the Medes. Isa. 
13 : 17," 18 ; 21 : 2. But Media was not incor- 
porated with Assyria, although Sargon, and 
afterward Sennacherib, subdued its people 
and exacted tribute. In b. c. 633 an inde- 
pendent kingdom was set up by Cyaxares, 
who in B. c. 625 took a leading part in the 
destrucrion of Nineveh. Media then be- 
came a great and powerful monarchy, 
comprising, besides Media proper, Persia, 
Ass>-ria, Armenia, and other adjoining 
countries. The empire was 1500 miles long, 
450 miles wide, and had an area of 600,000 
square miles. Under Cyrus the two king- 
doms of Babylonia and Media were united, 
B. c. 538. There are references in Scripture 
to this kingdom under the ritle of the 
" Medes and Persians." Dan. 5 : 28 ; 6:8, 
12, 15 ; comp. Esth 1 : 19. The only city in 
Media alluded to in Scriptures is Achmetha, 
or Ecbatana. Ezra 6 : 2. This region was 
absorbed in the Macedonian empire of 
Alexander the Great. Later an indepen- 
dent Median kingdom held sway until the 
Christian era, after which it became a part 
of the Parthian empire. Medes are men- 
tioned in connection with Parthians, etc., 
in the New Testament. Acts 2 : 9. 

Me cliator. One who interposes betweeo 

152 



two parties in order to bring them to agree- 
ment, or to a common purpose. Gal. 3 : 20, 
Moses so interposed between God and Is- 
rael. Exod. 20 : 19 ; Deut. 5:5; GaL 3 : 19. 
But the Lord Jesus Christ is the only medi- 
ator in the highest sense between God and 
man : so that we find this special designa- 
tion given him. 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9 : 
lo ; 12 : 24. See Jesus Christ. 

Megiddo {rne-gld'do), -place of crowds. 
Josh. 12 : 21. A city of one of the kings 
whom Joshua defeated on the west of the 
Jordan, in the great plain of Esdraelon. 
The song of Deborah notes the place as the 
scene of the great conflict between Sisera 
and Barak. Judg. 4 : &-17. When Pharaoh- 
necho came from Egypt against the king of 
Assyria, Josiah joined the latter, and was 
slain at Megiddo. 2 Klings 23 : 29 ; 2 Chron. 
55 : 22-24. Megiddo is the modem el-Lenun, 
which is probably the Legio of Eusebius 
and Jerome, a" stream flows down the 
gorge, and joins the Kishon. Here are 
probably the "waters of Megiddo" of 
Judges 5 : 19. 

Melchizedek, orMelchisedec {mel-ktsf- 
e-dSk). the Greek form in the New Testa- 
ment {king of righteousness), is mentioned in 
Gen. 14 : 18-20 as king of Salem and priest 
of the Most High God, meering Abram 
in the valley of Shaveh, bringing out bread 
and wine to him, blessing him, and receiv- 
ing tithes from him : in Ps. 110 : 4, where 
Messiah is described as a priest "after the 
order of Melchizedek : " and finally, in Heb. 
5 : 6, 7, where the typical relations between 
Melchizedek and Christ are defined, both 
being priests without belonging to the Le- 
vitical tribe, superior to Abram, of un- 
known beginning and end, and kings of 
righteousness and i)eace. The short but 
impressive account of Melchizedek in Gen- 
esis, and the striking though mystical ap- 
ph cations made in the Psalms and the Epis- 
tle to the Hebrews, have given rise to vari- 
ous interpretations. One Jewish tradition 
considers him to be a survivor of the Del- 
uge, the patriarch Shem, and thus entitled 
by his verj' age to bless the father of the 
faithful, and by his position as ruler of 
Canaan to confer his rights to Abram. 
Another tradition, equally old, but not so 
widely accepted, considers him to be an 
angelj the Son of God in human form, the 
Messiah. Modern scholars, arguing back 
from the exp>ositions given in the Epistle to 
the Hebrews, consider him to be a descend- 
ant of Ham, a priest among the heathen, 
constituted by God himself, and given a 
title above that of the ordinary patriarchal 
priesthood, even above that of Abram. 

3Iellta {rnil'i-tah), honey, modem Malta. 
A small island in the Mediterranean Sea, 
60 miles south of Sicily. It is 17 miles long 
by 9 or 10 broad. This island is noted in 
Scripture as the scene of the shipwreck of 
Paul. Acts 27. The wreck probably hap- 
pened at the place known as St. Paul's 
Bay, an inlet with a creek two miles deep 
and one broad. Its chief ofllcer (under the 
Roman governor of Sicily) appears from 
inscriptions to have had "the precise title 
which Luke uses, Acts 28 ; 7, 



MELONS 



OF m^ BiniK 



MESHA 



Melons. Num. 11 : 5. Melons of all 
kinds have ever been largely cultivated in 
Egypt, and in summer often form the chief 
food and drink of the lower classes. 

Memphis {M&m'phis), in Hebrew Noph, 
place ofPhtah. An ancient royal city of lower 
Egypt. From the ancient hieroglyphic 
name Ma-m-Phtah came the Hebrew 
" Moph," Hos. 9 : 6, and "Noph," and the 
Greek form " Memphis." Isa. 19 : 13 ; Jer. 
2 : 16 ; 44 : 1 ; Ezek. 30 : 13, 16. Memphis is 
said to have been about 19 miles in circum- 
ference. Its overthrow was distinctly pre- 
dicted by the Hebrew prophets ; Isa. 19 : 13 ; 
Jer. 46 : 19 ; and it never recovered from the 
blow inflicted upon it by Cambyses, 525 B.C. 
A fter the founding of Alexandria, Memphis 
rapidly fell into decay. It is now marked 
by mounds of rubbish, a colossal statue 
sunk deep in the ground, and a few frag- 
ments of granite. 

Menaliem (min'a-Mm), consoler. A king 
of Samaria. His reign, which lasted ten 
years, b. c. 771-760, was distinguished for 
cruelty and oppression. 2 Kings 15 : 14-20. 

Mene {me'ne), Tekel, Upliarsin. This 
sentence, which appeared on the wall of 
Belshazzar's banqueting- hall to warn him 
of the impending destruction of Babylon, 
is in the Chaldee language. Translated ht- 
erally, 3fene, " he is numbered ; " Mene, " he 
is numbered;" Tekel, "he is weighed;" 
Upharsin, " they are divided." " Peres," in 
the original language, is the same word 
with "Upharsin," but in a different case or 
number. It means " he was divided." Dan. 
5:25. 

Mephibosheth (me-phWo-sheth), end of 
shame or abasement. 1. The son of Jonathan 
and grandson of Saul, 2 Sam. 4:4; also 
called " Meribbaal "= contender against 
Baal. 1 Chron. 8 : 34 ; 9 : 40. He was only 
about five years of age when his father was 
slain, and on the news of this catastrophe 
the nurse who had charge of him, appre- 
hending that the whole house of Saul would 
be exterminated, fled away with him ; but 
in her flight stumbled with the child, and 
lamed him for hfe. David made provision 
for Mephibosheth and his family. 2 Sam. 
9 : 9-13 ; 16 : 1-4 ; 19 : 24-30. 2. A son of Saul 
by his concubine Rizpah. 2 Sam. 21 : 8. 

Merab imefrab), increase. The eldest 
daughter of Saul, 1 Sam. 14 : 49, promised to 
David, but given to Adriel in marriage. 
1 Sam. 18 : 17, 19. 

Mercurius (mer-ku'ri-Hs), identical with 
the Greek Hermes (the speaker). One of the 
heathen deities fabled to be the son of Ju- 
piter and Maia. He was supposed to pre- 
side over eloquence and merchandise, and 
to be the messenger of the gods. Barnabas 
and Paul were taken by the people at Lys- 
tra for Jupiter and Mercury. Acts 14 : 11-13. 
Ovid has a storv of these two deities wan- 
dering in the adjacent country of Phrj'gia. 

Mercy-seat was the name of the lid or 
cover of the ark of the covenant. It was 
made of gold, two and a half cubits long 
and one and a half cubits broad, and two 
cherubs, also of gold, were placed one at 
each end, stretching their wings toward 
each other, and forming a kind of throne, 



upon which God was beUeved to be present 
in a peculiar manner to hear and answer 
prayer, and to make known his holy will. 
Ex. 25 : 17-22 ; 30 : 6 ; 31 : 7 ; 37 : 6-9 ; 1 Chron. 
28 : 11 ; 2 Chron. 5 : 7, 8 ; Ps. 80 : 1 ; 99 : 1. 
Before and upon the mercy-seat the high 
priest sprinkled the blood of the sin- 
offerings on the day of atonement as a pro- 
pitiation, Lev. 16 : 11-16, which, under the 
new dispensation, received its fulfillment. 
Heb. 9:5; Rom. 3 : 25. 

Meribah (mer'i-bah), quarrel, strife. 1. 
The fountain near Rephidim which Moses 
smote by the divine command ; also called 
"Massah" ("temptation, trial"). Ex. 17: 
1-7 ; Deut. 6 : 16 ; 9 : 22. 2. Another fountain, 
produced in the same manner and under 
similar circumstances as the preceding, near 
Kadesh, in the desert of Zin ; also called 
waters of Meribah and Meribah Kadesh. 
Deut. 33 : 8 ; Ps. 95 : 8 ; 106 : 32. This miracle 
occurred near the close of the wanderings 
of the Hebrews in the desert. Num. 20 : 1- 
24 ; 27 : 14 ; Deut. 32 : 51 ; Ps. 81 : 7 ; Ezek. 47 : 
19. Some erroneously regard the two as 
identical, but this view is inconsistent with 
the scriptural narrative. See Kadesh. 

Merodach {me-ro'dak, or m^r'o-dak), 
death, Jer. 50 : 2, identical with the Babylo- 
nian Bel or Belus, the term being probably 
at first a mere epithet of the god. 

M e r o d a c h-baladan {me-ro'dak-bdl'a- 
ddn), worshipper of Baal. King of Babylon. 
2 Kings 20 : 12 ; Isa. 39 : 1. In the former pas- 
sage he is called Berodach-baladan. The 
name Merodach-baladan has been found in 
the Assyrian inscriptions. It appears there 
were two reigns of this king, the first from 
B. c. 721 to B. c. 709, when he was deposed ; 
and the second after his recovery of the 
throne in b. c. 702, which lasted only half a 
year. He sent ambassadors to Hezekiah, 2 
Chron. 32 : 31, about B. c. 713. 

Merom, Waters of {me'rom), waters of 
the high place. A lake in northern Pales- 
tine, where Joshua won a victorj\ Josh. 
11 : 5, 7. It is usually identified with the 
modern el-Huleh of the Arabs. Lake Hu- 
leh is eleven miles north of the Sea of Gal- 
ilee. 

Meroz {me'rdz), refuge. A place in the 
northern part of Palestine, the inhabitants 
of which were accursed for not having 
taken the field with Barak against Sisera. 
Judg. 5 : 23. 

Mesech {rae'sek), Ps. 120 : 5, or Meshech 
(me'shek), Ezek. 32 : 26, a son of Japheth, 
whose descendants are supposed to have 
settled in Armenia. They had consider- 
able commerce with Tyre. Ezek. 27 : 13. 
Some suppose the Muscovites were of this 
race. 

Mesha {me'shah), deliverance. 1. A king 
of Moab who refused to pay tribute to Je- 
horam, king of Israel. Jehoram determined 
to punish him ; but Mesha made the hor- 
rible sacrifice of his eldest son to some idol 
god, openly upon the wall, in sight of the 
IsraeUtes, who fearing that they might 
incur the anger of God by having given 
occasion to a human sacrifice, retreated 
to their own country. 2 Kings 3 : 4-27. A 
most wonderful corroboration of the Scrip- 

153 



MESOPOTAMIA 



PEOPLtl'S DtCflOS'Altr 



MICHAEL 



ture histon- is found in the famous Moab- 
ite stone. See Dibon. 2. A son of Caleb, 
and brother of Mareshah. 1 Chron, 2 : 42. 
3. A Benjamite, son of Shaharatm. 1 Chron. 
8:9. 

Mesopotamia {mls-o-po-td'mi-ah), the 
region between the rivers. The name given 
by the Greeks and Romans to that tract of 
fertile country lying between the rivers 
Euphrates and Tigris. Acts 2 : 9 ; 7 : 2. It 
was called by the Hebrews Aram-naharaim, 
or "Aram (or Svria) of the two rivers ; " Gen. 
24 : 10 ; Deut. 23 : 4 ; Judg. 3 : 8, 10 ; 1 Chron. 
19 : 6 ; and Padan-aram or " Plain of Svria," 
Gen. 25 : 20 ; 28 : 2-7 ; 46 : 15 ; also Aram or 
" Syria," Num. 23 : 7 ; Gen. 31 : 20, 24. The 
great plains of Mesopotamia possess a 
nearly uniform, level, good soil, but barren 
from want of irrigation. Mesopotamia was 
the countrj- of Nahor, R. V., "city of Na- 
hor." Gen. 24 : 10. Here lived Bethuel 
and Laban, and hither Abraham sent his 
servant to fetch Isaac a wife. Gen. 5 : 38. 
A century later Jacob came on the same 
errand, and hence he returned with his 
two wives after an absence of 21 years. 
Mesopotamia again occurs at the close of 
the wanderings in the wilderness. Deut. 
23 : 4. About a half century later, Mesopo- 
tamia appears as the seat of a powerful 
monarchy. Judg. 3. The children of Am- 
nion, having provoked a war with DaAid, 
"sent a thousand talents of silver to hire 
them chariots and horsemen out of Meso- 
potamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and 
out of Zobah." 1 Chron. 19 : 6. Assyrian 
inscriptions and the Scripture record show 
that Mesopotamia was inhabited in the 
early times of the empire, B. c. 1200- 
llOO' by a vast number of pettj- tribes, each 
under its own prince, and all quite inde- 
pendent of each other, Judg. 3 : 8-10 ; 2 
Kings 19 : 12, 13 ; Isa. 37 : 12, until subjugated 
by the kings of Assyria. Mesopotamia be- 
came an Assj-rian province. The conquests 
of Cyrus brought it wholly under the Per- 
sian *voke, and thus it continued to the 
time of Alexander. The whole region is 
studded with mounds and ruins of Assyr- 
ian and Babylonian greatness. See As- 
sjTia. 

3Iessiah (mes-si'ah). This is a Hebrew 
word signifying "anointed," and corre- 
sponding exactly to the Greek Christos. As 
in ancient times not only the king, but 
also the priest and the prophet, was conse- 
crated to his calhng by being anointed, 
'the word "Messiah" often occurs in the 
Old Testament in its literal sense, signify- 
ing one who has been anointed, 1 Sam. 24 : 
6 ; Lam. 4 : 20 ; Ezek. 28 : 14 ; Ps. 105 : 15 ; 
but generally it has a more si)ecific apph- 
cation, signifying the One who was an- 
ointed, the supreme Deliverer who was 
promised from the beginning. Gen. 3 : 15, 
and about whom a long series of prophe- 
cies runs through the whole historv of Is- 
rael from Abram, Gen. 12 : 3 : 22 : 18 ; Ja- 
cob, Gen. 49 : 10 ; Balaam, Num. 24 : 17 ; 
Moses, Deut. 18 : 15, 18 ; and Nathan, 2 Sam. 
7 : 16 ; through the psalmists and prophets, 
Pb. 2; 16 ; 22 ; 40 ; 45 ; 110 ; Isa. 7 :10-16 ; 9 : 
1-7; 11; 13; 53; 61; Jer. 23:5,6; Micah5: 

IM 



2 ; Mai. 3 : 1-4, to his immediate precursor, 
John the Baptist. The character of these 
prophecies is very definite. The lineage 
from which Messiah should descend was 
foretold. Gen. 49 : 10 ; Isa. 11 : 1, the place 
in which he should be bom, Mieah 5 : 2, the 
time of his appearance, Dan. 9 : 20, 25 ; Hag. 
2:7; MaL 3 : 1, etc. Nevertheless, in the 
vanity of their hearts, the Jews mistook 
the true meaning of these prophecies. 
They expected a triumphant worldlv king, 
according to Ps. 2 ; Jer. 23 : 5, 6 ; Zech. 9 : 
9, and that his triumph was to be accom- 
plished by sufferings and death they did 
not understand. See Jesus Cltrist. 

Methuselah {me-thu'se-lah), man of dart, 
or he dies and it is sent — namely, the flood. 
The son of Enoch, and, according to He- 
brew chronologj', 969 years old when he 
died, in the first year of the flood. The 
longest-lived man was the son of the saint- 
hest of his time. Gen. 5 : 27 : 1 Chron. 1 : 
3. He lived 243 years with Adam and 600 
years with Noah. The historj- of the fall 
and of the world before the flood was car- 
ried thus through only one person to Noah. 

iVIicah {mVkah), who is like Jehovah f 1, 
An idolater in Mount Ephraim. Judg. 17 ; 
18. 2. The sixth of the minor prophets, is 
called the Morashite, from his birthplace 
Moresheh, in the territory of Gath, west- 
ward from Jerusalem. He prophesied dur- 
ing the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Heze- 
kiah, kings of Judah, B. c. 750-698, and was 
a contemporary of Isaiah, whom he often 
resembles in style and expressions. Com- 
pare, for instance, Isa. 2 : 2 with Micah 4 : 1, 
or Isa. 41 : 15 with Micah 4 : 13. 

The Book of Micah contains prophe- 
cies concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 
In his prophecies concerning Messiah he 
is very precise. The prediction that Christ 
should be bom in Bethlehem belongs to 
him. 5 : 2. His style is poetic throughout, 

Eure, rich in images and plays upon words, 
old and lofty, but sometimes abrupt and 
obscure. There are seven persons of this 
name mentioned in the Bible. 

Itticaiali {ml-kd'yah). The son of Imlah. 
A faithful prophet who predicted in vain 
to Ahab the fatal termination of his expe- 
dition against Ramoth-gilead. 1 Kings 22 : 
8-28 ; 2 Chron. 18 : 7-27. He delivered his 
warning in the form of a remarkable vis- 
ion, in which the weighty lesson is con- 
veyed that God blinds judicially those who 
have shut their eyes and ears to his moni- 
tions, letting them be deceived by lying 
spirits. 

Itfichael {mi'ka-el or mVkel), who as God f 
1. A chief angel, who is represented as the 
patron of the Hebrews before God. Dan. 
12 : 1. In Jude 9 Michael is represented ' ' as 
contending with Satan about the body of 
Moses." & again in Rev. 12 : 5, 7, 9, the 
symbohc scenery which represents the ma- 
n"gnity of Satan towards the " man-child "= 
Christianity— the child of Judaism, caught 
up to the throne of God, i. e., placed under 
the divine protection, and invested with 
sovereign power — Michael and his angels 
are represented as waging war with Satan 
and his angels in the upper regions ; from 



MICSAL 



OF THE BIBLE, 



MILLO 



which the latter are cast down upon the 
earth. There are ten persons of this name 
mentioned in the Bible. 

Michal {mVkcU). The second daughter 
of Saul, 1 Sam. 14 : 49, and the wife of Da- 
vid. During David's exile she was married 
to another, Phalti, or Palti, 1 Sam. 25 :44 ; 2 
Sam. 3 : 15, with whom she lived for ten 
years. After the accession of David to the 
throne she was restored to him, 2 Sam. 3 : 
13, 14 ; but an estrangement soon took place 
between them, and on the occasion of one 
of the greatest triumphs of David's life— 
the bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem- 
it came to an open rupture between them, 
after which her name does not again occur. 

2 Sam. 6 : 23. 

Midimas (rwlfmos), orMicliinash 

gnWmash), something hidden. A town of 
enjamin noted in the Philistine war of 
Saul and Jonathan. 1 Sam. 13 : 11. Isaiah 
refers to it in connection with the invasion 
of Sennacherib in the reign of Hezekiah. 
Isa. 10 : 28. After the captivity it was repeo- 
pled. Ezra 2 : 27 ; Neh. 7 : 31. Later it be- 
came the residence of Jonathan Macca- 
bseus and the seat of his government. 1 
Mace. 9 : 73. Michmash is identified with 
the modern village of Mukmas, about five 
miles north of Jerusalem, where are con- 
siderable ruins of columns, cisterns, etc. 
In plain view, about a mile away, is the 
ancient Geba or Gibeah, where Saul was 
encamped. 1 Sam. 13 : 16. 

Midian {mld'i-an), strife. The territory 
of Midian extended, according to some 
scholars, from the Elanitic Gulf to Moab 
and Mount Sinai ; or, according t6 others, 
from the Sinaitic peninsula to the desert 
and the banks of the Euphrates. The peo- 
ple traded with Palestine, Lebanon, and 
Egypt. Gen. 37 : 28. Joseph was probably 
bought by them, perhaps in company with 
IshmaeUtes. See Gen. 37 : 25, 27, 28, 36, 
and Gen. 25 : 2, 4, 12, 16. Moses dwelt in 
Midian. Ex. 2 : 15-21 ; Num. 10 :29. Mid- 
ian joined Moab against Israel and enticed 
that nation into sin, for which it was de- 
stroyed. Num. chaps. 22, 24, 25. Later, 
Midian recovered, became a powerful na- 
tion, and oppressed the Hebrews, but were 
miraculously defeated by Gideon. Judg. 
6 ; 7 ; 8 : 1-28 ; Ps. 83 :9, 11 ; Isa. 9:4; Hab. 

3 : 7. The Midianites henceforward be- 
came gradually incorporated with the 
neighboring Moabites and Arabians. In 
the region east of Edora and Moab are 
many ancient ruins, and portions of the 
territory are of great fertility, producing 
bountiful crops for the modern Arabs— the 
tribe of Beni Sakk'r. which bears consid- 
erable resemblance in race, character, and 
habits to what is known of the ancient 
Midianites. "Curtains of Midian," Hab. 
8 : 7, is a figurative expression denoting the 
borders or inhabitants of Midian. 

Migdol (mfg'dol), tower. 1. A place near 
the head ot the Red Sea. Ex. 14 : 2 ; Num. 
33 : 7,8. 2. A fortified city in the northern 
limits of Egypt toward Palestine. Jer. 44 : 1 ; 
46 : 14. This name is rendered " tower " in 
the phrase " from the tower of Syene," R. V. 
reads "Seveneh," Ezek. 29:10; 30:6; but 



the margin correctly has " fi-om Migdol to 
Syene" — i. e., Syene the most southern 
border of Egypt, and Migdol the most 
northern. 

Migron {mlg'ron\jyreci'pice. A place near 
Gibeah. 1 Sam. 14 : 2. Migron is also men- 
tioned in Sennacherib's approach to Je- 
rusalem. Isa. 10 : 28. It was near Mich- 
mash. 

Mile, the Roman, equal to 1618 EngUsh 
yards— 4854 feet, or about nine-tenths of an 
English mile. It is only once noticed in 
the Bible. Matt. 5 : 41. 

Miletus {mUe'tus), Acts 20:15, 17, less 
correctly called Miletum in 2 Tim. 4 : 20, 
A. V. It was on the coast, 36 miles to the south 
of Ephesus. Acts 20 : 15. The site of Miletus 
has now receded ten miles from the coast, 
and even in the apostles' time it must have 
lost its strictly maritime position. Miletus 
was far more famous 500 years before 
Paul's day than it ever became afterward. 
Now the small Turkish village Melas is near 
the site of the ancient city. 

Mill. Matt. 24 : 41. The Jewish hand- 
mill consisted of two circular stones, each 
about 18 inches or two feet in diameter, the 
lower of which is fixed, and has its upper 
surface slightly convex, fitting into a cor- 
responding concavity in the upper stone. 
In the latter is a hole through which the 
grain passes, immediately above a pivot or 
shaft which rises from the centre of the 
lower stone, and about which the upper 
stone is turned by means of an upright han- 
dle fixed near the edge. It is worked by 
women, sometimes singly and sometimes 
two together, who are usually seated on 
the bare ground, Isa. 47 : 1, 2, facing each 
other ; both have hold of the handle by 
which the upper is turned round on the 
" nether" millstone. The one whose right 
hand is disengaged throws in the grain as 
occasion requires through the hole in the 
upper stone. It is not correct to say that 
one pushes it half round and then the other 
seizes the handle. This would be slow work, 
and would give a spasmodic motion to the 
stone. Both retain their hold ; and pull to 
or push from, as men do with the whip or 
cross-cut saw. The proverb of our Saviour, 
Matt. 24 : 41, is true to life, for women only 
grind. So essential were millstones for 
daily domestic use that they were forbidden 
to be taken in pledge. Deut. 24 : 6. There 
were also larger mills driven by cattle or 
asses. Matt. 18 : 6. With the movable upper 
millstone of the hand-mill the woman of 
Thebez broke Abimelech's skull. Judg. 
9:53. 

Millet, the grain of the cultivated patiic- 
grass {Panicum miiiaceum), or of du-rah (va- 
riously spelled, but thus pronounced). Ezek. 
4 : 9. Durah or Egyptian corn {Sorghum vul- 
gare) resembles m'aize in size and general 
appearance, and is largely cultivated upon 
the Nile. 

Millo (mU'lo), a mound, rampart. " MiUo " 
is used for a part of the citadel of Jerusa- 
lem, probablv the rampart, or entrench- 
ment. 2 Sani. 5:9; 1 Kings 9 : 15-24 ; 11 ; 
27 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 8. The same, or part of it, 
was probably the " house of Millo ; " mai^D 

165 



MiKT 



PEOPLE'S DtCTlOifAUY 



MlZfAH 



" Beth IMlllo." 2 Kings 12 : 20 ; 2 Chron. 32 : 
5. Some think it means the " stronghold of 
Zion." 

Mint. Matt. 23 : 23 ; Luke 11 : 42. A well- 
known herb, much used in domestic econ- 
omy. The Jews are said to have scattered 
it, on account of its pleasant smell, on the 
floors of their houses and synagogues. The 
species most common in Syria is the Mentha 
sylvestris, horse-mint. 

Miracle, in the A. V., represents three 
Greek words : 1. Semeion, sign, by which a 
divine power is made known and a divine 
messenger attested. Matt. 12 : 38, 39 ; 16 : 1, 
6; Mark8:ll; Luke 11:16; 23:8; John2: 
11, 18, 23, etc.; Acts 6:8; 1 Cor. 1:22. 2. 
Teras, wonder or portent, with regard to 
their astounding character. John 4 : 48 ; 
Acts 2 : 22, 43 ; 7 : 36 ; Rom. 15 : 19 ; usually 
in connection with "signs." 3. Dunamis, 
power or powers, mighty deeds, with ref- 
erence to their effect. Matt. 7 : 22 ; 11 : 20, 
21, 23 ; Luke 10 : 13 ; Rom. 15 : 19. A mira- 
cle is not, philosophically speaking, a vio- 
lation of the ordinary laws of nature, nor 
does it necessarily require a suspension of 
those laws, as some have imagined ; but is 
either a manifestation of divine power, su- 
I)erior to natural causes, or an increase of 
the action of some existing law, accom- 
pUshin^ a new result. Such were the mira- 
cles which God wrought by the prophets ; 
and those wrought by Christ and by the 
apostles and disciples in his name. Though 
miracles are supernatural facts, in one 
sense they are also natural facts. They 
belong to a superior order of things, to a 
superior world; and they are perfectly 
conformed with the supreme law which 
governs them. They belong to the vast 
plan of Jehovah, which contains at once 
both the natural course of events and these 
supernatural manifestations. And when, 
on remarkable occasions, his plans and piu"- 
poses have required preternatural interpo- 
sition of his power, it has always been ex- 
erted ; but, with the unusual occasion, the 
unusual agency has ceased, and the ex- 
traordinary result has no longer occurred. 
Such interferences are not required in the 
estabhshed course and usual sequences of 
nature. The miracles of Christ as reported 
in the gospels present many noticeable fea- 
tures. They were numerous ; a multitude 
more having been performed than are de- 
scribed in detail. John 20 : 30 ; 21 : 25. 
They exhibit great variety? they were 
wrought almost always instantaneously, 
by a word of power, without the use or 
auxiliary means, sometimes taking their 
effect at a distance from the place in which 
Christ personally was. They were perma- 
nent in their results, were subjected at the 
time to keen investigation, and convinced 
a hostile i)eople of the truth of them, to 
such an extent that, though there were 
persons who concealed or resisted their 
convictions, very many in consequence at- 
tached themselves, to the great detriment 
of their worldly interests, in several cases 
with the sacrifice of their lives, to the per- 
son and doctrine of this extraordinary 
Teacher. They were miracles, too, of» 

156 



mercy, intended to relieve human suffer- 
ing, and to promote the well-being of those 
on whom or for whom they were wrought. 
And the i)ower of working miracles was 
conveyed by our Lord to his followers, was 
repeatedly exercised by them, and was 
continued for a while in the church. Acts 
19 : 11 ; 1 Cor. 12 : 10, 28, 29. For list of 
miracles in the Bible, see Appendix. 

Miriam (mir'i-am), rebellion. 1, The 
daughter of Amram, and the sister of Mo- 
ses and Aaron, 1 Chron. 6 : 3, appointed to 
watch the ark of bulrushes in which her 
infant brother was laid among the flags of 
the river. She was there when Pharaoh's 
daughter came down and discovered it, 
and proposed to go for a nurse. She im- 
mediately called her mother as the nurse, 
and the infant was placed under her care. 
Ex. 2 : 4-10. After the passage of the Red 
Sea, she led the choir of the women of 
Israel in the sublime song of deliverance, 
Ex. 15 : 20, but afterward, having joined 
Aaron in murmuring against Moses, she 
was smitten mth leprosy, and restored only 
in answer to the prayers of Moses. Num. 
12 : 1-15. She died and was buried at Ka- 
desh. Num. 20 : 1. 2. A descendant of Ju- 
dah. 1 Chron. 4:17. 

Mite. A coin of Palestine in the time 
of our Lord. Mark 12 : 41-44 ; Luke 21 : 1-4. 
It was the smallest piece of money ahd 
worth about one-fifth of a cent — two mites 
making a farthing. See Farthing. 

Mitre. The head-dress of the Jewish 
priest. It was of fine flax or linen, made 
with many folds, making in length eight 
yards, and wreathed round the head in the 
shape of an Eastern turban. It bore upon 
its front a gold plate, on which was in- 
scribed: "HoUness to the Lord." Ex. 28: 
4, 37,39: 29:6; 39:28,30; Lev. 8:9; 16:4. 

Mitylene {mit-y-Wne), hornless. The chief 
town and capital of the isle of Lesbos. 
Acts 20 : 14, 15. In Paul's day it had the 
privileges of a free city. 

Mizpah {miz'pah) and Mizpeh (miz'peh), 
watch-tower. The name of several places 
in Palestine. 1. On Mount Gilead, also 
called MLzpeh of Gilead, Judg. 11 : 29, and 
elsewhere, probably Ramoth-mizpeh, Josh. 
13 : 26, and Ramoth-gilead, 1 Kings 4 : 13, 
and elsewhere, the place where Laban and 
Jacob set up a heap of stones as a witness 
and landmark between them. Gen. 31 : 23, 
25, 48, 52. Here, also, the Israehtes assem- 
bled to fight against the Ammonites, Jud§;. 
10 : 17 ; and here Jephthah was met by hjs 
daughter. Judg. 11 : 29. Some suppose 
that this was the place also where the 
tribes assembled to avenge the great sin 
committed in Benjamin, Judg. 20 : 1, 3 ; 21 : 
1, 5, 8 ; but this is more usually applied to 
the Mizpah in Benjamin. See No. 6. This 
Mizpah has been identified, with great 
probability, with Kulat er Rubad on the 
Wady 'Ajltin, about ten miles east of the 
Jordan. The summit commands a wide 
view, and is in harmony with the name 
Mizpeh, or "watch-tower." 2. Mizpeh of 
Moab, where the king of that nation was 
Uving when David committed his parents 
to his care, 1 Sam. 22 : 3 ; possibly now Ke- 



MIZRAIM 



OP THE BtBLK 



umm 



rak. 3. The land of Mizpeh, in the north 
of Palestine, the residence of the Hivites, 
Josh. 11 : 3 ; possibly identical with — i. The 
valley of Mizpeh, Josh. 11 : 3, 8, whither 
the confederate hosts were pursued by 
Joshua; perhaps the modern Buka'a, the 
great country of Coele-Syria, between Leb- 
anon and Anti-Lebanon. 5. A city in Ju- 
dah. Josh. 15 : 38 ; possibly iaentical with 
the modern Tell es-Saflyeh. This others 
have identified with Misrephothmaim. 
Josh. 11 : 8. 6. A city in Benjamin, Josh. 
18 : 26, where Israel assembled. 1 Sam. 7 : 
5-7, 11, 12, 16. Here Saul was elected kin^. 1 
Sam. 10 : 17-21. Asa fortified Mizpah,! Kuigs 
15 : 22 ; 2 Chron. 16 : 6 ; it was where Ge- 
daliah was assassinated, 2 Kings 25 : 23, 25 ; 
Jer. 40 : 6-15 ; 41 : 1-16 ; the men of Mizpah 
joined in rebuilding a par of the wall of 
Jerusalem. Neh. 3 : 7, 15, 19. Probably iden- 
tical with Neby Samwil, standing on a 
f)eak about four miles northwest of Jerusa- 
em. Whether the Mizpah of Hosea, 5 : 1, 
was in Benjamin or in Gilead is uncer- 
tain. 

Mizraim {mlz'rd-im or miz-rd'im), limits, 
borders. The name by which the Hebrews 
generally designated Egypt, apparently 
from Mizraim, the son of Ham. Gen. 10 : 
6, 13. Called in English versions Egypt. 
Gen. 45 : 20 ; 46 : 34 ; 47 : 6, 13. Sometimes it 
seems to be employed to designate lower 
Egypt, to the exclusion of Pathros or upper 
Egypt. Isa. 11 : 11 , Jer. 44 : 15. See Egypt. 

Moab {ino'ah), from the father. The son 
of Lot and his eldest daughter, and founder 
of the Moabite people. Gen. 19 : 30-38. 
Moab is also used for the Moabites ; and 
also for their territory. Num. 22 : 3-14 ; 
Judg. 3 : 30 ; 2 Sam. 8 : 2 ; 2 Kings 1:1; Jer. 
48:4. 

The territory of the Moabites, originally 
inhabited by the Emims, Deut. 2 : 10, lay 
on the east of the Dead Sea and the Jor- 
dan, strictly on the highlands south of the 
Arnon ; Num. 21 : 13 ; Ruth 1:1, 2 ; 2:6; 
but in a wider sense it included also the 
region anciently occupied by the Amorites 
over against Jericho, usually called the 
" Plains of Moab." Num. 21 : 13 ; 22 : 1 ; 26 : 
3 ; 33 : 48 ; Deut. 34 : 1. When the Hebrews 
advanced to Canaan, they did not enter 
the territory of Moab proper, Deut. 2:9; 
Judg. 11 : 18 ; but there was always a great 
antipathy between the two peoples, which 
arose from Balaam having seduced the 
Hebrews to sin by the daughters of Moab. 
Num. 25 : 1, 2 ; Deut. 23 : 3-6. After the 
death of Joshua the Moabites oppressed the 
Hebrews, but they were delivered by Ehud. 
Judg. 3 : 21. David subdued Moab and 
Ammon, and made them tributary. 2 Sam. 
8 : 2-12 ; 23 : 20. Soon after the death of 
Ahab they began to revolt, 2 Kings 3 : 4, 5 ; 
Isa. 16 : 1, 2, and were subsequently en- 
gaged in wars with the Hebrews. 2 Chron. 
20 : 1, 10 ; 27 : 5. Under Nebuchadnezzar 
the Moabites acted as the auxiharies of the 
Chaldeans, 2 Kings 24 : 2 ; Ezek. 25 : 8-11 ; 
and during the exile they took possession 
once more of their ancient territory, va- 
cated by the tribes of Reuben and Gad ; as 
did the Ammonites also. Jer. 49 : 1-5. 



Some lime after the exile their name was lost 
under that of the Arabians, as was also the 
case with the Ammonites and Edomites. 
The famous Moabite Stone, bearing an in- 
scription of Mesha, a king of Moab, about 
900 B. c, was found at Dibon, in Moab, 
within the gateway by, Rev. F. A. Klein— a 
German missionary at Jerusalem — in 1868. 
The stone is of black basalt, 3 feet 8>^ 
inches high, 2 feet 3>^ inches wide, and 1 
foot 1.78 inches thick. It has 34 lines of 
Hebrew-Phoenician writing, and contains 
a most remarkable corroboration of the 
Scripture history in 2 Kings 3. The long- 
predicted doom of Moab is now fulfilled, 
and the 48th chapter of Jeremiah is veri- 
fied on the spot by the traveller. There 
are 27 references to Moab in this chapter, 
and 121 in the Scriptures. 

Mole. In Lev. 11 : 30 A. V. the Hebrew 
word is beUeved to denote the chame- 
leon. The R. V. reads : "And the gecko, and 
the land-crocodile, and the lizard, and the 
sand hzard, and the chameleon." Another 
word rendered " mole," in Isa. 2 : 20, means 
"the burro wer." As no true moles have 
been found in Palestine, this term may 
comprehend the various rats and weasels 
that buiTow about ruins. 

Molech. (mo'lek), the ruler, Lev. 18 : 21, or 
Milcoin {mil'kom), 1 Kings 11 : 5, or Mo- 
loch, Acts 7 : 43. The name of an idol- 
god worshipped by the Ammonites with hu- 
man sacrifices, especially of children. The 
rabbins tell us that it was made of brass 
and placed on a brazen throne, and that 
the head was that of a calf with a crown 
upon it. The throne and image were made 
hollow, and a furious fire was kindled 
within it. The flames penetrated into the 
body and limbs of the idol ; and when the 
arms were red-hot, the victim was thrown 
into them, and was almost immediately 
burned to death, while its cries were 
drowned by drums. Though warned against 
this idolatry, common to all the Canaanite 
tribes, though probably not of Canaanite 
origin, the Jews were repeatedlv allured to 
adopt it. 2 Kings 23 : 10 ; Ezek. 20 : 26. In 
the Valley of Hinnom they set up a taber- 
nacle to Molech, and there they sacrificed 
their children to the idol. 

Money. Gen. 17 : 12. This word occurs 
about 130 times in the A. V., and represents 
three Hebrew words : keseph or k'saph oc- 
curring most frequently (about 110 times) in 
historical books, only a few times in the 
poetical books, as Ps. 15 : 5 ; Prov. 7 : 20 ; Lam. 
5 : 4. Two other Hebrew words, qesitah 
and qinyon, also appear early in the Old 
Testament, Gen. 33 : 19 ; Lev. 22 : 11. Money 
also represents six Greek words in the New 
Testament : argurion, meaning " silver," 
Matt. 25 : 18 ; kerma, a small coin, John 2 : 
15 ; nomisma, meaning possibly " legal coin," 
Matt. 22 : 19 ; chalkos, a copper coin, Mark 
6:8; ehrema. Acts 8 : 18, and stater, rendered 
" shekel " in the R. V., equal to 24 drachmas. 
Matt. 17 : 27. Coined money, as now in use 
among civilized nMions, was unknown in 
the world until about six hundred years be- 
fore Christ. The Assyrians, Babylonians, 
and Egyptians had no coins until about b. c, 

157 



MONEY-CHANGERS 



PMOPl^'S PlCTlONAUr 



MOSES 



300. David and Solomon never saw any 
coined money. The Jews had none until 
the time of the Maccabees, about b. c. 139. 
Before the periods named, gold and silver 
were used as money by weight; and are 
now so used in some eastern countries. 
The first mention of money is in the touch- 
ing story of Abraham's buying a burial 
place for his wife. It is said, "Abraham 
weighed the silver, four hundred shekels, 
current with the merchant." Gen. 23 : 4-16. 
It appears to have been then in general use. 
The study of ancient coined money is inter- 
esting, showing the rise of the arts and 
their fall dming the dark ages of priestcraft, 
from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries ; 
the coins of 400 years before Christ being 
superb, while those a thousand years after 
Christ are hardly discernible. The early 
coins show, not only the hkenesses of kings 
and emperors, but also many of the most 
Important events of their reigns. For the 
coins mentioned in the Bible, see Shekel, 
Penny, Farthing. 

Money-changers. Matt. 21 : 12 ; Mark 
11 : 15 ; John 2 : 15. According to Ex. 30 : 



13-15, every IsraeUte who had reached the 
age of twenty must pay into the treasury, 
whenever the* nation was numbered, a haLf- 
shekel as an offering to Jehovah. The 
money-changers whom Christ, for their im- 
piety, avarice, and fraudulent deahng, ex- 
pelled from the temple were the dealers 
who supplied half-shekels, for such a pre- 
mium as they might be able to exact, to the 
Jews from all parts of the world who as- 
sembled at Jerusalem during the great fes- 
tivals, and were required to pay their 
tribute or ransom money in the Hebrew 
coin. 

Month. Gen. 8 : 4. The ancient He- 
brews called the months by their numbers ; 
as first month, second month, third month, 
etc., and also had a name for each month. 
They likewise had a civil and a sacred year. 
The sacred year was used in computing 
their festivals, and chiefly by sacred writers. 
The civil year was used in reckoning their 
jubilee, the reign of kings, and birth of 
children. The length of the month de- 
pended on the changes of the moon. The 
names of the Hebrew months follow : 



Sacred. Beginning with the new moon. Feasts. 

Nisan, or Abib March, April Neh. 2 : 1.... { ^^f^eldf' ^''^®^''^''®'^ 

Zif, or Ziv April, May 1 Kings 6 : 1... Pentecost. 

Sivan May, June Esther 8: 9 

Thammuz June, Julj"^ 

Ab July, August 

Elul August, September. .Neh. 6 : 15 

( Feast of Trumpets. 
Tishri, or Ethanim.Septem'r, October ..1 Kings 8 : 2^ Atonement. 

(Feast of Tabernacles. 
Bui October, Novem'r...! Kings 6 : 38. 

^R V^'chislev^^"' November, Dec'r....Neh. 1 : 1 Dedication. 

Tebeth December, Jan'y Esther 2 : 16... 

Shebat January, February.. Zech. 1: 7 

Adar February, March.. ..Esther 3 : 7 Purim. 



Civil. 


vn. 


I. 


VIII. 

IX.. 

X.. 

XL. 
XIL. 


....II. 
...III. 
...IV. 
....V. 
...VI. 


I. 


.VII. 


II. 


VIII. 


III. 


...IX. 


IV. 

V. 

VI. 


....X. 

...XL 
.XIL 



Twelve hmar months, making 854 days 
and six hours, made the Jewish year 
short of the Roman by twelve days. To 
compensate for this difference, the Jews 
about every three years, or seven times in 
19 years, intercalated a thirteenth month, 
which they called Vedar, the second Adar. 
By this nieans their lunar year equalled 
the solar. 

Mordecai {m&r'de-kdi), little man. A Jew 
in the Persian court who caused the deliv- 
erance of the Jews from the destruction 
plotted by Haman. This led to the institu- 
tion of the feast of Purim. See Esther. 

Moreh {mo'reh). 1. The halting place of 
Abram after his entrance into the land of 
Canaan. Gen, 12 : 6. It was near Shechem, 
Gen. 12 : 6, and the mountains Ebal and Ger- 
izim. Deut. 11 : 30. 2. The hill of Moreh, 
where the Midianites and Amalekites were 
encamped before Gideon's attack upon 
them. Judg. 7:1. It lay in the valley of 
Jezreel, on the north side. 

Moriah {mo-rl'ah), chosen of Jehovah f 1, 
The place where Abraham was directed to 

158 



offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Gen. 22:2. 2. A 
mount on which Solomon built the temple 
in Jerusalem. 2 Chron. 3:1. It was in the 
eastern part of the city, overlooking the 
valley of the Kedron, and where was the 
threshing-floor of Araunah. 2 Sam, 24 : 24 ; 
1 Chron. 21 : 24. See Jerusalem. 

Moses (mo'zez),from the water, i. e., dravm 
from the water. "The prophet and legislator 
of the Hebrews and the son of Amram and 
Jochebed, and of the tribe of Levi, the son 
of Jacob. Ex. 2 : 1, 10 ; 6 : 16-20 ; Josh. 1:1, 
2, 15 ; 1 Kings 8 : 53, 56 ; 2 Chron. 1:3; Dan. 
9 : 11 ; Deut. 34 : 5 ; Ps. 90 : title ; Ezra 3 : 2. 
He was bom inEgypt, about b. c. 1571. In his 
infancy, because of the cruel edict of Pha- 
raoh, he was hid in a boat-cradle in the Nile ; 
but was found and adopted by the daughter 
of Pharaoh. He was educated at the Egyp- 
tian court, and " was learned in all the wis- 
dom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in 
words and in deeds." Ex. 2 : 1-10 ; Acts 7 : 
20-22. When Moses had grown up, he re- 
solved to deliver his people. Having slain 
an Egyptian, however, he fled into the land 



MOTS 



OP Tsu mnLE. 



MYRfttt 



of Midian, where he was a shepherd chief. 
Among the Midiaus, the Minni, who we 
now know were a cultured and literary 

Seople, God further prepared him to be the 
eliverer of his chosen people. By a suc- 
cession of miracles, which God wrought by 
his hand, Moses brought the Hebrews out 
of Egypt, and through the wilderness, unto 
the borders of Canaan. See Sinai. He was 
only allowed to behold, not to enter the 
Promised Land. Having accomplished his 
mission and attained to the age of 120 years, 
with the faculties of mind and body unim- 
paired, the legislator transferred his author- 
ity to Joshua ; and, ascending the summit 
Of Pisgah, he gazed on the magnificent pros- 
pect of the " goodly Land." There he died, 
and "the Lord buried him in a valley in 
the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor ; 
but no man knoweth of his sepulchre imto 
this day." Deut. 34 : 1-7. God buried Mo- 
ses. It was fitting, therefore, that he too 
should write his epitaph. "And there arose 
not a prophet since in Israel like unto Mo- 
ses, whom the Ijord knew face to face, in 
all the signs and the wonders which the 
Lord sent nim to do in the land of Egypt, 
to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to 
all his land, and in all that mighty land, 
and in all the great terror which Moses 
showed in the sight of all Israel." Deut. 
34:10-12. 

Moth. The clothes-moth, which, in its 
caterpillar state, is very destructive to 
woven fabrics. In Job 4 : 19 man is said 
to be "crushed before the moth" — that is, 
more easily than the moth. 

Mourning. Oriental mourning is public 
• and careful of prescribed ceremonies. Gen. 
23 : 2 ; Job 1 : 20 ; 2 : 12. Among the forms 
observed the following may be mentioned : 
Rending the clothes, Gen. 37 : 29, 34 ; 44 : 13, 
etc. ; dressing in sackcloth. Gen. 37 : 34 ; 2 
Sam. 3 : 31 ; 21 : 10, etc. ; ashes, dust or earth 
sprinkled on the person, 2 Sam. 13 : 19 ; 15 : 
32, etc. ; black or sad-colored garments, 2 
Sam. 14 : 2 ; Jer. 8 : 21, etc. ; removal of orna- 
ments or neglect of person, Deut. 21 : 12, 13, 
etc. ; shaving the head, plucking out the 
hair of the head or beard. Lev. 10 : 6 ; 2 
Sam. 19 : 24, etc. ; laying bare some part of 
the body, Isa. 20 : 2 ; 47 : 2, etc. ; fasting or 
abstinence in meat and drink, 2 Sam. 1 : 12 ; 
3 : 35 ; 12 : 16, 22, etc. In later times for the 
employment of persons hired for the pur- 
pose of mourning, Eccl. 12 : 5 ; Jer. 9 : 17 ; 
Amos 5 : 16 ; Matt. 9 : 23, friends or passers- 
by to join in the lamentations of bereaved 
or afflicted persons. Gen. 50 : 3 ; Judg. 11 : 
40 ; Job 2 : 11 ; 30 : 25, etc. ; and in ancient 
times the sitting or lying posture in silence" 
indicative of grief. Gen. 23 : 3 ; Judg. 20 : 26, 
etc. The period of mourning varied. In 
the case of Jacob it was seventy days, Gen. 
50 : 3 ; of Aaron, Num. 20 : 29, and Moses, 
Deut. 34 : 8, thirty. A further period of seven 
days in Jacob's case. Gen. 50 : 10. Seven 
days for Saul, which may have been an 
abridged period in the time of national 
danger. 1 Sam. 31:13. 

Mouse. Tristram found 23 species of 
mice in Palestine. In Lev. 11 : 29, and Isa. 
66 : 17 this word is doubtless usedgenerically, 



including as unclean even the larger rat, 
jerboa, dormouse, and sand-rat. They made 
great havoc in the fields of the Philistines 
after that people had taken the ark of the 
Lord. 1 Sam. 6 : 4, 5. 

Mulberry Trees. Some of the best re- 
cent authorities advocate the aspen or pop- 
lar, a few species of which grow in Pales- 
tine. The "going" in the tree-tops, which 
was to be the sign that God went out before 
the host, 2 Sam. 5 : 23, 24, may have been 
the rustle of these leaves, which are prover- 
bial for their readiness to tremble before the 
slightest breeze. 

Murrain. Ex. 9 : 3. See Plagues of 
Egypt. 

Music. 1 Sam. 18:6; Isa. 30:29. The 
practice of music was not restricted to any 
one class of persons. 1 Chron. 13 : 8 ; 15 : 
16. The sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jedu- 
thun were set apart by David for the musi- 
cal service. They were divided, like the 
priests, into 24 courses, which are enumer- 
ated. 1 Chron. 25. Of the 38,000 Levites, 
"four thousand praised the Lord with the 
instruments." 1 Chron. 23 : 5. Each of the 
courses or classes had 154 musicians and 
three leaders, and all were under the gen- 
eral direction of Asaph and his brethren. 
Each course served for a week, but upon 
the festivals all were required to be present, 
or four thousand musicians. Heman, with 
one of his leaders, directed the central 
choir, Asaph the right, and Jeduthun the 
left wing. These several choirs answered 
one another, as is generally supposed, in 
that kind of alternate singing which is 
called " antiphonal," or responsive. The 
priests, in the meantime, performed upon 
the silver trumpets. 2 Chron. 5 : 11-14 ; 
Num. 10:2. 

Musical Instruments, Eccl. 2 : 8, 
A. V. They were invented by Jubal, the 
son of Lamech, Gen. 4 : 21, and had appro- 

Sriate names. Gen. 31 : 27. They may be 
ivided into three classes — stringed instru- 
ments, wind instruments, and such as gave 
their sounds on being struck. Of stringed 
instruments were the harp, the instrument 
of ten strings, the sackbut, and the psaltery. 
They are described under their proper 
names. The instruments of music men- 
tioned in 1 Sam. 18 : 6, as used by women, 
are supposed to have been metallic trian- 
gles, as the name indicates. 

Mustard. Matt. 13 : 31, 32 ; 17 : 20 ; Luke 
17 : 6. This plant is the black mustard 
{Sinapis nigra). In the fertile and warm 
soil of Palestine, especially when cultivated, 
this herb must have reached considerable 
size. Dr. Thomson has seen it there as 
tall as the horse and his rider, and the 
ground near the Sea of Galilee is often 
" gilded over with its yellow flowers." 

Myra {my' rah), jlovnng, weeping. An 
ancient port in Lycia, on the southwest 
coast of Asia Minor. Acts 27 : 5. It was on 
the river Andriacus, about 23^ miles from 
its mouth. The magnificent ruins of the 
city stand upon a hill not far from the sea. 

Myrrh. A gum resin, celebrated for its 
aromatic properties. It derives its name 
from the Hebrew word mor, which implies 

159 



MYMLE 



PEOPLE'S MCTIOI^APY 



NAHASfl: 



"flowing" or "distilling," Greek murrha. 
The Balsamodendron myrrha, of the natural 
order Terebinthacese, is the tree found in 
Arabia and Africa, from which myrrh is 
chiefly procured. It exudes from the bark, 
and is at first soft, oily, and yeUowish-white ; 
it afterwards acquires the consistency of 
butter, and becomes still harder by expo- 
sure to the air, changing to a reddish hue. 
In commerce it is of two kinds, " myrrh in 
tears " and " myrrh in sorts." Myrrh is fre- 
quently mentioned in Scripture. It was an 
ingredient in the holy anointing oil, Ex. 30 : 
23 : it was used in perfumes, Ps. 45 : 8 ; Prov. 
7 : 17 ; Song of Sol. 1 : 13 ; 3:6; in unguents, 
Esth. 2 : 12 ; Song of Sol. 5:5; for strength- 
ening wine, Mark 15 : 23 ; also in embalming, 
John 19 : 30. Myrrh was among the offerings 
made by the eastern sages. Matt. 2 : 11. 
The best was that which flowed sponta- 
neously from the tree. 

Myrtle. This plant, Myrtus communis, 
grows in the east into a tree of twenty feet 
in height. The myrtle was an emblem of 
peace and quietude ; hence allusions to it 
are frequently introduced by the sacred 
writers. Isa. 41 : 19 ; 55 : 13 ; Zech. 1 : 8-11. 
Branches of it were used for constructing 
booths and arbors at the feast of taber- 
nacles. Neh. 8 : 15. 

Mysia {mlsh'i-ah), or mlzM-dh, beech re- 
gion'? A province in the northwestern 
angle of Asia Minor, celebrated for its fer- 
tihty. Acts 16 : 7, 8 ; 20 : 5. 

Mystery. Eph. 1:8, 9. This word does not 
mean something absolutely hidden and 
unintelUgible. It is rather a design hidden 
in God's counsels until revealed to mankind 
in and by Christ. Hence we find it contin- 
ually employed in the New Testament to 
indicate those gracious purposes and plans, 
which were by degrees elaborated and illus- 
trated, and on which the teaching of our 
Lord and his apostles threw the clearest 
light, but which remained hidden to those 
who would not understand, and who had 
their minds blinded against the truth. 
Thus the gospel is called " the mystery of 
the faith," "the mystery of godliness," 1 
Tim. 3 : 9, 16, which mystery is immediately 
after explained to be the revelation and 
glorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
the calling of the Gentiles and their union 
into one body, God's church, with the Jews, 
is called a mystery, long hidden, but at 
last made known. Eph. 1 : 9, 10 ; 3 : 8-10 ; 
Col. 1 : 25-27. In the same way it is else- 
where used for a truth or doctrine, which 
required elucidation, and which received it. 
Matt. 13 : 11 ; Rom. 11 : 25 ; 1 Cor. 13 : 2 ; 15 : 
61, 52. The word is also employed symbol- 
ically. Thus Paul treating of "the primary 
institution of marriage introduces the term, 
because the marriage tie was a figurative 
representation of that yet closer union into 
which Christ brings his church, wherein 
the two are "one spirit." Eph. 5:31, 32; 
comp. 6 : 17. In prophetical language there 
is a similar use of the word mystery. Thus 
the " seven stars " symbolized " the angels 
of the seven churches," and the " seven 
candlesticks " the " seven churches." Rev. 
1 : 20 ; comp. 17 : 5, 7. 

160 



X a a man {nafa-mdn), pleasantness. 1. 
"Naaman the Syrian," to whose cure our 
Lord referred. Luke 4 : 27. Naaman was 
commander-in-chief of the army of Syria, 
and was nearest to the person of the king, 
Ben-hadad II., whom he accompanied offi- 
cially when he went to worship in the tem- 
ple of Rimmon, 2 Kings 5 : 18, at Damas- 
cus, the capital. Naaman was afflicted with 
a leprosy of the white kind, which had 
hitherto defied cure. A little Israelitish 
captive maiden tells him of the fame and 
skiU of Elisha, and he is cured by him by 
following his simple directions to bathe in 
the Jordan seven times. See 2 Kings 5 : 14. 
After his cure he gratefully acknowledged 
the power of the God of Israel, and prom- 
ised "henceforth to offer neither burnt of- 
fering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but 
unto the Lord." How long Naaman lived 
to continue a worshipper of Jehovah while 
assisting officially at the worship of Rim- 
mon we are not told; " but liis memory is 
perpetuated by a leper hospital which oc- 
cupies the traditional site of his house in 
Damascus, on the banks of the Abana." 
2. One of the family of Benjamin who 
came down to Egypt with Jacob, as read in 
Gen. 46 : 21. He was the son of Bela, and 
head of the family of the Naamites. Num. 
26 : 40 ; 1 Chron. 8 : 3, 4. 

Nabal {ncfbal), foolish, impious. A man 
of the house of Caleb, who had large pos- 
sessions in Carmel. He treated David very 
churlishly, and was saved from the disas- 
trous consequence by his wife Abigail, 
whom David married after Nabal's death. 
1 Sam. 25 ; 27 : 3 ; 30 : 5 ; 2 Sam. 2 : 2 ; 3 : 3. 

Naboth (nd'bdth), fruits. An Israelite of 
Jezreel who owned a vineyard adjoining 
the palace of king Ahab. 1 Kings 21 : 1. 
Anxious to secure this spot to use it for a 
garden, the king proposed to buy it ; but 
Naboth declined to seU. So Jezebel, the 
wife of Ahab, made a wicked plan to have 
Naboth condemned to death on a false 
charge of blasphemy, and thus allow the 
king to seize upon the vineyard. The mur- 
der was avenged by the doom immediately 
passed upon Ahab and Jezebel, the royal 
murderers. 1 Kings 21 : 19. 

Nadab {nd'ddb), spontaneous, liberal. 1. 
The eldest son of Aaron. Ex. 6 : 23 ; 24 : 1, 
9; 28:1; Lev. 10:1; Num. 3:2,4; 26:60, 
61 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 3 ; 24 : 1, 2. 2. The son and 
successor of Jeroboam I., king of Israel, 
whose sinful conduct he imitated. He 
reigned two years, 954-953 B. c, and while 
engaged at the siege of Gibbethon he and 
all his house were slain by Baasha. 1 Kings 
14 : 20 ; 15 : 25-31. 3. One of Judah's pos- 
terity. 1 Chron. 2 : 28, 30. 4. A Benjamite, 
one of the family from which Saul de- 
scended. 1 Chron. 8 : 30 ; 9 : 36. 

Nabasb (nd'hdsh), serpent. 1. An Am- 
monite king. He offered to Jabesh-gilead 
a treaty on condition that the citizens 
should submit to the loss of their right eyes. 
This cruelty aroused the indignation of 
Saul, who defeated their enemies. At a 



"NAHOU 



OF THE BIBLE. 



NATHANAEL 



subsequent period he was on friendly rela- 
tions with David. 2 Sam. 10 : 2. 2. Men- 
tioned as father of Abigail. 2 Sam. 17 : 25. 
Some identify him with Jesse, and others 
with Nahash, king of the Ammonites. 

Nahor (nafh&i'), snorting. 1. One of the 
patriarchs, father of Terah and grandfather 
of Abraham. Gen. 11 : 22-25 , 1 Chron. 1 : 
26. He is called Nachor in Luke 3 : 34,A.V. 
2. A son of Terah. It would seem that he 
must have accompanied his father to Ha- 
ran ; for it is sometimes styled the city of 
Nahor. Gen. 11 ; 26, 27, 29 ; 22 : 20-24 ; 24 : 
10, 15, 24, 47 ; 29 : 5 ; 31 : 53. He is called 
Nachor in Josh. 24 : 2, A. V. 

Nahunx {Nd'hum), consolation. One of 
the twelve minor prophets. In Nah. 1 : 1 
he is called an Elkoshite. Some refer this 
name to a place in Galilee, others to a vil- 
lage on the Tigris. The intimate acquaint- 
ance the book shows with Syrian affairs 
makes it probable that Nahum hved an 
exile in Assyria, and perhaps at the vil- 
lage on the Tigris. Nahum prophesied be- 
fore the destruction of Nineveh, which he 
predicts, and probably in the reign of Heze- 
kiah. 

Book of. It is a poem of great sublimity, 
and admirable for the elegance of its im- 
agery. It describes with much beauty and 
poetic force the siege and destruction of 
Nineveh as a punishment for her wicked- 
ness. Nah. chaps. 2 and*. 

Nain {nd'in), beauty. A town in Galilee 
where Christ raised the widow's dead son 
to life. Luke 7 : 11. It is now called Nein, 
and is on the northwestern edge of Little 
Hermon, six miles southeast of Nazareth, 
and 25 miles southwest of Tell Hum (Ca- 
pernaum ?). 

N a i o t h (nd'yoth), habitations. A place 
near Ramah where Samuel dwelt. 1 Sam. 
19 : 18-23 ; 20 : 1. Some interpret the word 
to mean a school of prophets over which 
Samuel presided. 

Name. Gen. 2 : 19. This sometimes has 
a pecuUar signification, as in Prov. 18 : 10, 
where the term denotes God himself. See, 
also, Ps. 20 : 1, 5, 7. In the New Testament 
it usually means the character, faith, or 
doctrine of Christ. Acts 5 : 41 ; 8 : 12 ; 9 : 
15, and 26 : 9. The names of God are ex- 
pressive of some element of his character 
— are the symbol of some revealed attribute 
of his nature. We name him only because 
we know him, and we know him only be- 
cause he has made himself known. Names 
among the Jews usually had a meaning 
and a relation of some pecuhar circum- 
stances in the character, birth, or destiny 
of the person, Ex. 2 : 10 and 18 : 3, 4 ; Matt. 
1 : 21. The same person often had two 
names. Names were changed, and are 
still, in Eastern countries, for slight reasons. 
A change of office or station often occa- 
sioned a change of name. " And upon his 
thigh a name written." Rev. 19 : 16. This 
alludes to an ancient custom among East- 
ern nations of adorning the images of 
their gods and the persons of princes and 
heroes with inscriptions expressive of their 
character, titles, etc. They were made on 
the garment, or on one of the thighs, and 



several ancient statues have been discov- 
ered, with inscriptions of one or two lines, 
written sometimes horizontally and some- 
times perpendicularly, both on the inside 
and outside of the thigh, and sometimes 
upon both thighs. Men surname them- 
selves by the name of Israel, when, having 
been before Gentiles and sinners, they join 
themselves to Jesus and his church. Isa. 
44:5. 

Naomi (na-O'ml or nd'o-mi), my delight. 
The wife of Ehmelech, and the mother-in- 
law of Ruth, and who moved with their 
two sons from Judaea to Moab in the time 
of a famine. Ruth 1 : 2. Elimelech died, 
and also his two sons, each leaving a 
widow ; Naomi, thus bereaved, started back 
to her native country. Orpah remained 
behind, but Ruth accompanied her. Once 
back in Bethlehem, she wished to be known 
by the name Mara— "bitterness." She 
thenceforth acted the part of a faithful 
mother to Ruth. 

Naphtali {ndph'ta-li), my wrestling. The 
sixth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's 
handmaid. Gen. 30 : 7, 8. He had four sons. 
Gen. 46 : 24 ; Ex. 1 : 4 ; 1 Chron. 7 : 13. Jacob 
said, "NaphtaU is a hind let loose, he giv- 
eth goodly words," graceful and eloquent. 
Gen. 49 : 21, 

Terkitory of Naphtali, peopled by his 
descendants, called Nephthalim, Matt. 4 : 
15, A. v., was called "the west and the 
south," A,V,, hterally "the sea and the cir-' 
cuit." Deut. 33 : 23 ; Josh. 19 : 32-39. It lay 
in a rich and fertile portion of Northern 
Palestine, partly along the Lebanon range, 
called " the mount of NaphtaU." Josh. 19 : 
32-39 ; 20 : 7, R. v., " Hill country of Naph- 
tah. ' ' They attended in force at the corona- 
tion of David, 1 Chron. 12 : 34, and are men- 
tioned with honor in the wars of the Judges,* 
Judg. 1 : 33 ; 5 : 18 ; 6 : 35 ; 7 : 23, as much re- 
duced by the Syrians, 1 Kings 15 : 20, and as 
among the first captives to Assyria, 2 Kings 
15 : 29 ; Isa. 9 : 1. Barak was their most 
notable leader. Judg. 4 : 6-16. Our Saviour 
spent much time in the southern part of 
this region ; Matt. 4 : 13-15 ; Mark 2 : 1-12, 
partially fulfilling Isa. 9 : 1, 2. 

Nathan {nd'than), given. 1. A distin- 
guished prophet of Judsea, in the reigns of 
David and Solomon. 2 Sam. 7 : 2. Nathan 
was to tell David that he could not build the 
temple, and to point out David's sin against 
Uriah, which he conveyed under the strik- 
ing allegory of the rich man and the ewe- 
lamb. Nathan was one of David's biogra- 
phers, 1 Chron. 29 : 29, and also Solomon's. 
2 Chron. 9 : 29. 2. One of the sons of David 
by Bathsheba. 1 Chron. 3:5. 3. Father of 
one of David's warriors. 2 Sam. 23 : 36. 4. 
One of the chief men who returned to Je- 
rusalem with Ezra. Ezra 8 : 16. 5. A descend- 
ant of Caleb. 1 Chron, 2 : 36. 

Nathanael {Na-thdn'a-el), gift of God. 
A native of Cana of Gahlee, John 21 : 2, 
whom our Lord called an Israelite without 
guile. John 1 : 47. He was led by PhiUp 
to Jesus. He went doubting, with the words 
on his hps, "Can there any good thing 
come out of Nazareth?" Jesus, however, 
at once convinces him that he is the Mes- 
ial 



NAZAEENE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



KEBO 



siah by the exhibition of his knowledge, 
declaring that he had seen Xathanael un- 
der the fig tree before ever Philip had called 
him. Nathanael confesses him to be the 
Son of God and the King of Israel. The 
name Nathanael occurs only in John. For 
this reason, combined -with the fact that 
John never mentions the name of Barthol- 
omew, it is generally supposed that the two 
are identical. 

Nazarene {vAz'a-reneT). ^ATien our Lord 
was taken as a child to Nazareth, which 
thus became for many years his dwelling- 
place, the evangeUst records this as a fulfil- 
ment of prophecy, Matt. 2 : 28, citing no 
particular place, but referring generallj- to 
"the prophets," who predicted Messiah's 
humble and despised condition. See Isa. 
chaps. 52, 53. The words, "He shall be 
called a Nazarene," do not occur in the 
writings of the Old Testament; but the 
thing or meaning conveyed by them is suf- 
ficiently obvious, Jesus, living at Nazareth, 
Avas from that verj' circumstance con- 
temned ; and we find in the course of his 
public career his connection with that town 
repeatedly used against him. John 1 : ^ ; 7 : 
41, 52. Matthew notes that event which 
branded him with an ill-omened name, 
"Jesus of Nazareth," and his followers as 
Nazarenes, comp. Acts 24 : 5, as an exact 
fulfilment of what ancient seers had fore- 
told. It is an error to connect Matt. 2 : 23 
with Isa. 11, from a fancied relation of the 
original Hebrew word there translated 
" branch" vrixh. the name Nazareth. 

Nazareth {ndz'a-reth), separated f Matt. 
2 : 23. A city of GaUlee, famous as the home 
of Jesus during his childhood and youth 
until he began his pubhc ministrj'. It was 
about 14 miles from the Sea of GaUlee, and 
66 miles north of Jerusalem in a straight 
hne. It is one of the most beautiful sites 
in the Holy Land. Nazareth is not men- 
tioned in the Old Testament, nor by any 
classical author, nor by any writer before 
the time of Christ. It" was" for some un- 
known reason held in disrepute among the 
Jews of Judgea. John 1 : 46. It was situ- 
ated in a mountain, Luke 4 : 29, within the 
province of Galilee, Mark 1 : 9, and near 
Cana, as John 2 : 1. 2, 11 seems to imply. 
There was a precipice near the town, down 
which the people proposed to cast Jesus. 
Luke 4 : 29. It is mentioned 29 times in the 
New Testament. At Nazareth the angel 
appeared to ^larj' : the home of Joseph, 
Luke 1 : 26 ; 2 : 39," and to that place Joseph 
and Marv returned after their flight into 
Egypt. Matt. 2 : 23. The hills and places 
about the town possess a deep and hallowed 
interest to the Christian as the home of 
Jesus during his childhood and youth, until 
he entered upon his ministrj", and had 
preached in the synagogue, and was re- 
jected by his own toAA'nspeople. Even after 
Capernaum became " his own city " he was 
known as "Jesus of Nazareth," Matt. 13: 
54-5S : Mark 6 : 1-6 ; Acts 2 : 22 ; 3 : 6 : 4 : 10 ; 
6 : 14, and his disciples were called " Naza- 
renes." The town is now called En-N^si- 
rah, or Nasrah, and has from 5000 to 6000 
population, though the Turkish olftcials §5- 

m 



timate it at 10,000. The brow of the hill 
over which the enraged Nazarenes threat- 
ened to cast Jesus is probably near the 
Maronite chmrch, though tradition places it 
at the "Mount of Precipitation," two or 
three miles south of the town, 

Nazarites {ndz'a-rltes), properly iSozinfes, 
Num. 6 : 2, from a Hebrew word "signifying 
"to separate." A Nazirite, under the" an- 
cient law, was one, either male or female, 
under a vow to abstain from wine and all 
intoxicating hquors and the fruit of the 
vine. The hair should be allowed to grow 
without being shorn, and all contamination 
with dead bodies should be avoided. The 
Nazirite was not even to approach the 
corpse of father or mother, Num. 6 : 7, and 
if by accident this should occur, he was re- 
quired to shave his head, make ofierings, 
and renew the vow. When the tune of the 
vow expired, the person brought an oflFering 
to the temple ; the priest then cut ofiF his 
hair and burnt it ; after which the Nazirite 
was free from his vow and might again 
drink wine. The term of the vow is left in- 
definite. " The days of the vow " is the ex- 
pression in Num." 6. We know, however, 
that there were perpetual Nazirites. Sam- 
son and probably Samuel and John the 
Baptist were i)erpetual Nazirites. Hannah 
promised the Lord that no razor should 
touch the head of her child if the Lord 
would give her ode, 1 Sam. 1 : 11, and the 
angel predicted to Zacharias that John 
Avould abstain entirely from wine and 
strong drink. Luke 1 : 15. 

Neapolis {ne-Cip'o-tts), new city. A place 
in Northern Greece where Paul first landed 
in Europe, and where he probably landed 
on his second visit, Acts 16 : 11 ; comp. 20 : 1, 
and whence he embarked on his last jour- 
ney to Jerusalem. Acts 20 : 6. It is now a 
Tiirco-Grecian town of 5000 or 6000 popula- 
tion, and called Kavalla ; it has numerous 
ruins. 

Xebaioth (ne-bd'yoth). Isa. 60 : 7, or Ne- 
'bajoil\ = heights, R.V.,"Nebaioth," Gen. 25 : 
13, the first-born, 1 Chron. 1 : 29, son of Ish- 
mael, whose descendants are supposed to 
have settled in Arabia, and to have been the 
Nabatheans of Greek and Eoman histor>'. 
They were a pastoral people, Isa. 60 :"7, 
whence the beautiful figure of the prophet 
above cited respecting the gathering of the 
Gentile nations to the sceptre of the Mes- 
siah. Petra was their chief city. 

Nebo {nefho), proclaimer. 1. One of the 
Assyrian deities, who is represented, with 
Belj as being unable to resist the destruc- 
tion to which Cyrus subjected their idols. 
Isa. 46:1. This" god was called "he who 
possesses intelhgence," and statues of him 
are still preserved. 2. A mountain of Moab 
" over against Jericho." Deut. 32 : 49. "And 
Moses went up from the plains of Moab 
unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of 
Pisgah, . . . and the Lord showed him all 
the land of Gilead unto Dan." Deut. 34 : 1. 
Nebo was a mountain in the range of 
mountains called Abarim. While the dis- 
cussions respecting Ksgah have been sharp, 
the majority- of explorers and scholars 
agree in ide'ntitying Nebo witji th^ ftOrttl- 



NEBUCHADNEZZAR 



OF THE BIBLE, 



NEHEMIAH 



em end of the Abarim range. See Pis- 
gah. 3. A city east of the Jordan ; rebuilt 
by the Gadltes, Num. 82 : 3, 38; 33 : 47 ; cap- 
tured by the Moabites. Isa. 15 : 2 ; Jer. 48 : 
1, 22. It was eight miles south of Heshbon ; 

gjrhaps el Habis. 4. A town in Benjamin, 
eh. 7 : 33 ; possibly Nttba, 7 miles north- 
west of Hebron. 

Nebuchadnezzar (nSb'u-kad-nSz'zar), 
may Nebo protect the crown ! or, more cor- 
rectly, Nebuchadrezzar, the son and 
successor of Nabopolassar, the founder of 
the Babylonish monarchy, was the most 
illustrious of these kings. 2 Kings 24 : 1 ; 
Dan. chaps. 1-4. We know of him through 
the book of Daniel. In the Berhn Museum 
there is a black cameo with his head upon 
it, cut by his order, with the inscription : 
" In honor of Merodach, his lord, Nebu- 
chadnezzar, king of Babylon, in his life- 
time had this made." Nebuchadnezzar was 
intrusted by his father with repelling Pha- 
raoh-necho, and succeeded in defeating 
him at Carchemish, on the Euphrates, b. c. 
605, Jer. 46 : 2, taking Jerusalem and carry- 
ing off a portion of the inhabitants as pris- 
oners, including Daniel and his compan- 
ions. Dan. 1 : 1-4. Having learned that 
his father had died, Nebuchadnezzar has- 
tened back to Babylon. Thus the remark, 
*' In his days Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bab- 
ylon, came up, and Jehoiakim became 
his servant three years," 2 Kings 24 : 1, is 
easily explained. The title is given by an- 
ticipation, and the " three years" are to be 
reckoned from 605 to 603 inclusive. The 
rebelUon of Jehoiakim, entered upon, 
probably, because Nebuchadnezzar was car- 
rying on wars in other parts of Asia, took 
place B. c. 602, and was punished by the 
irruption of Chaldseans, Syrians. Moabites, 
and Ammonites, incited, perhaps, by Nebu- 
chadnezzar, who, as soon as possible, sent 
his troops against Jerusalem, and had him 
taken prisoner, but ultimately released 
him. 2 Kings 24 : 2. After his death his 
son JehoiacMn reigned, and against him 
Nebuchadnezzar, for the third time, in- 
vaded Palestine and besieged Jerusalem, 
and all the principal inhabitants were car- 
ried to Babylon. 2 Kings 24 : 12-16. Mat- 
taniah, whose name was changed to Zede- 
kiah, after a reign of nearly ten years, 
rebelled, and was punished by Nebuchad- 
nezzar, who went up against Jerusalem 
and reduced the city to the horrors of 
famine before taking it. Zedekiah's two 
sons were killed before his eyes, and then 
his eyes put out, and he, as a captive, was 
carried to Babylon, B. c. 588. 2 Km^s 25 : 7. 
On Nebuchadnezzar's order, Jeremiah was 
kindly treated. Jer. 39 : 11-14. The words, 
"The king spake and said, Is not this 
great Babylon, that I have built for the 
house of my kingdom, by the might of my 
power, and for the honor of my majesty?'' 
Dan. 4 : 30, are proved to be characteristic 
by those on an inscription : " I say it, I 
have built the great house which "is the 
centre of Babylon for the seat of my rule 
ip Babylon." " Of the king's madness there 
is, of course, no direct mention. There is 
aa inscription wbicli ig read by Sir H. Raw-., 



Unson in a manner which finds its readiest 
explanation in the fact stated in Dan. 4 : 
33 : " For four years the residence of my 
kingdom did not delight my heart : in no 
one of my possessions did I erect any im- 
portant building by my might. I did not 
put up buildings in Babylon for myself and 
for the honor of my name. In the worship 
of Merodach, my god, I did not sing his 
praise, nor did I provide his altar with sac- 
rifices, nor clean the canals." Nebuchad- 
nezzar is denominated "king of kings" by 
Daniel, 2: 37, and ruler of a "kingdom 
with power and strength and glory." He 
built the hanging-gardens of Babylon on a 
large and artificial mound, terraced up to 
look like a hill. This great work was called 
by the ancients one of the seven wonders 
of the world. An idea of the extent of 
this monarch's building enterprises may be 
drawn from the fact that nine-tenths of the 
bricks found amongst the ruins of the an- 
cient capital are inscribed with his name. 
He is said to have worshipped the " King 
of heaven," Dan. 4 : 37, but it may be ques- 
tioned whether he did not conceive ol the 
Jehovah of the Hebrews to be only one of 
many gods. He died about b. c. 561, after 
a reign of 44 years. 

Nebuzaradan (nBb'u-zar-d'dan or niVu- 
zdr'a-ddn), prince favored by Nebo. Nebu- 
chadnezzar's general, who effected the ruin 
of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 25 : 8 ; Jer. 39 : 9-13; 
40:1; 52:12, 15, 16,26. 

Necho(?i^to) orPharaoh-necho. King 
of Egypt. 2 Chron. 35 : 20, R. V., "Neco." 
Son of Psammetichus. Josiah, king of Ju- 
dah, being tributary to the king of Baby- 
Ion, opposed Necho on his first expedition 
against Nebuchadnezzar, and gave him 
battle at Megiddo, where he received the 
wound of which he died. On Necho's return 
from the Euphrates, where he had taken 
and garrisoned the city of Carchemish, B.C. 
610, he halted in Riblah in Syria, and send- 
ing for Jehoahaz, king of the Jews, he de- 
posed him, loaded him with chains, and 
sent him into Egypt. 2 Chron. 36 : 4. Then 
coming to Jerusalem, he set up Eliakim, or 
Jehoiakim, Josiah's first-born, in his place. 
Carchemish was retaken by the army of 
the king of Babylon, in the fourth year of 
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Jer. 46 : 2 ; so 
that Necho did not retain his conquests in 
Syria more than four years. 2 Kings 23 : 
29 to 24 : 7. " Pharaoh-necoh " in the R. V. 
2 Chron. .35 : 20 to 36 : 6. 

Necromancer. Dent. 18 : 11. One who 
professed to reveal future events by pre- 
tended converse with the dead. 

Nehemiah (ne'he-mi'ah), comforted of Je- 
hovah. 1. A Jew of piety and zeal, born 
during the exile ; but his family and tribe 
are not known. Raised to the office of 
cup-bearer to the Persian monarch, Nehe- 
miah did not forget his desolated country, 
and was commissioned, at his own request, 
to visit Jerusalem and rebuild the city, 
which he accomplished under the most 
perplexing difficulties. The twentieth year 
of Artaxerxes, when Nehemiah went to 
Jerusalem, is usually fixed in B. c. 444; 
others, yfiXh some degree of probability, fix 

m 



NEHILOTH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



NILE 



it in B. c. 454. Neh. 1:1:7:2. Kehemiah 
was made tirshatha = " governor " of Judea, 
under Artaxerxes Longimauus. Xeh. 8: 
9 : 10 : 1 ; 12 : 26. He is also called the pe- 
chah, whence the modern pasha, a governor 
of a pro\ince. Neh. 12 : 26. Nehemiah 
was governor of Jerusalem twelve years, 
Neh. 5 : 14-19 ; and then returned to the 
Persian court, where he remained " certain 
days." 2s' eh. i3 : 6. After nine or ten months 
he returned to Jerusalem, as governor, the 
second time; and corrected the abuses 
which had crept in during his absence. 
Neh. 13 : 7-31 ; Mai. 2 : 9-17; 3 : 6-12. He 
remained in power till the restoration of 
affairs in Jerusalem, probably about ten 
years : and died at an advanced age, prob- 
ably in that city. 

NEHE.MIAH, Book of, is the 16th in the 
order of the books of the Old Testament, 
It supplements the book of Ezra. It re- 
lates Nehemiah's great work of rebuild- 
ing Jerusalem and the reclamation of the 
customs and laws of Moses, which had 
fallen into disuse. The account of the 
waUs and gates in chap. 3 is among the 
most valuable documents for the settle- 
ment of the topography of ancient Jerusa- 
lem. The registers and Lists of names are 
also of value. Nehemiah is the author of 
the first seven chapters, and part of the 
t^'elfth and thirteenth. The change from 
the use of the first person to that of the 
third in the remaining chapters, and the 
fact that some names in the lists were not 
extant till after Nehemiah's death, point to 
some other hand as their author. 2. One who 
returned in the first expedition from Baby- 
lon under Zerubbabel. Ezra 2:2; Neh. f : 
7. 3. The son of Azbuk, who helped to re- 
pair the gates of Jerusalem. Neh. 3 : 16. 

XeMloth (ne'hi-loth), Ps. 5, title, mean- 
ing "perforated," as flutes, "wind instru- 
ments," R. V. 

Xehushtan {ne-hHsh'tan), the brazen 
thing. The serpent of brass — or copper — 
which Moses made by God's command in 
the wilderness. Num. 21 : 8, 9, was preserved 
for many ages. Hezekiah. perceiving that 
the people had been in the habit of paying 
a superstitious reverence to it, broke it up. 
2 Kings 18 : 4. Probably Nehushtan was the 
name by which it had been ordinarily 
known ;' though some believe it a term of 
contempt then first apphed, 

Nergal (ner'gal), man-devourer, great 
hero. An idol of the Cuthites. 2 Kings 17 : 
30. The Je'^^'ish rabbins fancied that this 
idol was figured by a cock. It is now very 
commonly supposed to be the planet Mars. 
The word" is used in titles, as Nergal-share- 
zer, the name of two princes of Babvlon. 
Jer. 39 : 3, 13. 

Nero (nifro). L. Domitius Nero succeeded 
Claudius as emperor of Rome, 54 a. d., and 
killed himself to avoid a public execution, 
68. In his reign that war commenced be- 
tween the Jews and Romans which termi- 
nated later in the destruction of Jerusalem 
by Titus and the overthrow of the Jewish 
polity. It was under Nero, too, that a fierce 
persecution of the Christians began, about 
64 A. D., which lasted tiU his death. Paul 
164 



suffered martyrdom In it at Rome. So 
great were this monarch's cruelties that his 
name has ever since served speciallv to 

\ distinguish a tyrant. He is frequentlv in- 
dicated as Csesar in the New Testament, 

: Acts 25 f 8, 10-12. 21 : 26; 32; 28:19; Phil.4; 
22, and as Augustus, Acts 25 : 21, 25 ; but 
his name Nero does not occur. See Csesax. 

I Xethinim inHh'i-nim), given, dedicated. 
The name of the Hebrew temple servants, 
under the Levites. The whole of the Ne- 
thinim do not appear to have been, in their 
origin, Gibeonites, as it is not improbable 
that other foreigners were occasionally 
added to the staff. Josh. 9 : 3-27 ; Ezra 8': 
20. The employment of the Nethinim, 

; though the lowest in the sersice of the 

] sanctuary, was not regarded as degrading, 
but rather as a sort of honorable servitude. 
1 Chron. 9 ; 2 ; Ezra 2 : 43-o8, 70 ; Neh. 3 : 

i 31 ; 7 : 46-60. 73 ; 11 : 3, 21. 

j Nettle. A well-known plant covered 
with minute sharp hairs, containing a poi- 
son that produces a painful, stinging sensfi- 
tion. It grows on neglected ground. A 
different Hebrew word in Job 30 : 7 ; Prov. 

' 24 : 31 ; Zeph. 2 ; 9, seems to indicate a differ- 

I ent si)ecies. 

I Nibhaz (nib'hdz), barker. An idol-god of 
the Avites. 2 Kings 17 : 31. The name be- 

. ing derived from a word meaning "to 

; bark," it is supposed that the god was 

' represented by the figure of a dog. It 
would, therefore, be allied to Anubis of the 
Egyptians. 

Nicodemus {ntk-o-defmus), conqueror of 
the people. A Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, 
and a teacher of Israel, John 3:1, 10, 
whose secret visit to our Lord was the occa- 

, sion of the discourse recorded only by 

' John. Nicodemus was a member of the 
Sanhedrtn, and finally became a follower 

; of Christ, and came with Joseph of Arima- 

' thgea to take down and embalm the body 
of Jesus. John 7 : 50 ; 19 : 39. 

Nicolaitans {nlk-o-ld'i-tanz). Heretical 
persons or teachers, mentioned in Rev. 2 : 

6, 15. Compare 2 Pet. 2:12, 19: Jude 4, 

7, 8, 11, 12. Some suppose them to have 
been followers of Nicolas the deacon, but 
there is no good evidence that he ever be- 
came a heretic. 

Nicolas {nik'o-Ias), conqueror of the peo- 
ple. A Jewish prosehte of Antioch, who 
afterwards embraced Christianity, and was 
among the most zealous of the first Chris- 
tians, so that he was chosen one of the 
seven to minister in the church at Jerusa- 
lem. Acts 6 : 5. 

Nicopolis [m-cdp'o^s), city of victory. 
There were many ancient cities which bore 
this name : three in particular have been 
supposed by different critics the one meant. 
Tit. 3 : 12. One of these was in the north- 
eastern comer of Cilicia ; another on the 
Nessus in the interior of Thrace ; the third 
in Epirus (though Pliny assigns it to Acar- 
nania). This last, most probably the Nicop- 
olis intended by Paul, was built by Augus- 
tus in commemoration of his victorj- at 
Actium. 

Nile, blue. dark. The great river of Egypt 
and of Africa, its entire length being about 



NIMRIM 



OF THE BIBLE. 



NINEVEH 



4000 miles. The word "Nile" does not oc- 
cur in the A. V., but the river is frequently 
referred to as Sihor or Shihor, which means 
a " black " or " turbid " stream, Josh, 13 : 3 ; 
Isa. 23 : 3 ; where the R. V. reads " Nile ; " 
Jer. 2 : 18 ; 46 : 7, 8, R. V. "Nile ; " 1 Chron. 
13 : 5. It is also designated simply the 
" river," R. V. margin, "Nile," Gen. 41 : 1 ; 
Ex. 1 : 22 ; 2 : 3, 5, and the " flood of Egypt," 
R. v., " River of Egypt," Amos 8 : 8 ; 9 : 5. 
In the plural form this word yeor, rendered 
" river," frequently refers to the branches 
and canals of the Nile. This famous river 
is connected with the earliest history of the 
Egyptian and the Israelitish nations. Ex. 
2 :3 ; 7 : 20, 21 ; Num. 11 : 5 ; Ps. 105 : 29 ; Jer. 
46 : 7, 8. The Nile is not named in the New 
Testament. As rain seldom falls in Egypt 
proper, the fertility of the country is en- 
tirely dependent upon the annual rise of 
the Nile. This usually begins in June and 
continues until near the end of September, 
the river remaining stationary for two or 
more weeks, and then attaining its highest 
level in October, when it begins to subside. 
The successive years of famine in the days 
of Joseph were doubtless due to a deficient 
overflow of the Nile for those years. For- 
merly this annual inundation turned Egypt 
into a vast lake, but in later times the water 
has been distributed by a great network of 
canals, from which the huge basins of cul- 
tivated land into which the canals divide 
the country, are supplied with water of the 
depth required to leave a deposit of mud to 
fertilize the land. The native uses his feet 
to regulate the flow of water into each of 
the squares or basins of land, and by a dex- 
terous movement of his toes forms or re- 
moves a tiny embankment, as may be re- 
quired to admit the proper flow of water. 
Another common mode is to use the " shad- 
oof," a bucket attached to a long pole hung 
on a pivot, balanced by a stone or a lump of 
clay at one end, and having the bucket on 
the other end. To this day the Nile is 
lined for hundreds of miles with these 
shadoofs, worked by men, women, and chil- 
dren, who lift the water out of the river to 
irrigate their fields. Both these methods 
are beheved to be very ancient, and may 
be alluded to by Moses in contrasting the 
fountains and rainfalls in Palestine with 
the absence of this supply in Egypt : " For 
the land, whither thou goest in to possess 
it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence 
ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, 
and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden 
of herbs." Deut. 11 : 10, 11. The ancient 
Egyptians worshipped the river Nile as a 
god. Two of the ten plagues sent upon 
Pharaoh and Egypt before the departure of 
the Israelites were turning the water of 
the Nile into blood and bringing forth frogs 
from the river. Ex. 7 : 15-25 ; 8:3-7. The 
papyrus reeds— whence paper is designated 
—the flags, the lotus, and the various col- 
ored flowers formerly beautifying the banks 
of the river have nearly all disappeared, 
thus fulfilling prophecy. Isa. 19 : 6, 7. 

Nimrim {Nim'rim) pure, plural of Nim- 
rah, a brook in Moab. Isa. 15; 6; Jer. 48: 
34. 

11 



Ninirod. {nlm'rdd), rebellion ; or the valiant, 
A son of Cush and grandson of Ham. Gen. 
10 : 8 flf. He estabhshed an empire in Shi- 
nar, the classical Babylonia, the chief towns 
being Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh: 
and extended this empire northward along 
the course of the Tigris over Assyria, where 
he founded a second group of capitals, 
Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen. 

Nineveh {nin'e-veh), perhaps dwelling of 
Nin, the capital and greatest city of As- 
syria. It was founded by Ntmrod, Gen. 10 : 
11, and was on the eastern baiik of the 
river Tigris, about 250 miles in a direct Une 
north of the rival city of Babylon, and not 
far from 550 miles northwest of the Persian 
Gul£ Assyrian scholars are not agreed in 
respect to the size of this ancient city. 
Some, as Layard, regard it as covering a 
large parallelogram, whose sides were each 
from 18 to 20 imles long, and the ends 12 to 
14 miles wide. This view would include 
the ruins now known as Konyunjik, Nim- 
rud, Khorsabad, and Keremles. Diodorus 
Siculus makes the circumference of the 
city 55 miles, including pastures and pleas- 
ure grounds. This view of the great extent 
of the city is, on the other hand, sharply dis- 
puted by Rawhnson, who thinks it highly 
improbable that this ancient city should 
have had an area about ten times that of 
London. He would reject it on two 
grounds, the one historical and the other 
topographical. He maintains that the ruins 
of Khorsabad, Keremles, Nimrud, and Kon- 
yunjik bear on their bricks distinct local 
titles, and that these titles are found attach- 
ing to distant cities in the historical in- 
scriptions. According to his view, Nimrud 
would be identified with Calah, and Khor- 
sabad with Dur-sargina, or "the city of 
Sargon." He further claims that Assyrian 
writers do not consider these places to be 
parts of Nineveh, but distinct and separate 
cities ; that Calah was for a long time the 
capital, while Nineveh was a provincial 
town ; that Dur-sargina was built by Sar- 
gon — not at Nineveh, but near Nineveh ; 
and that Scripture similarly distinguishes 
Calah as a place separate from Nineveh, 
and so far from it that there was room for a 
great city between them. See Gen. 10 : 12. 
He also suggests that a smaller city in ex- 
tent would answer the requirements of the 
description in the book of Jonah, which 
makes it a city of " three days' journey." 
Jonah 3:3. As already stated, "Nineveh wa«! 
founded by Asshur, or, as the marginal 
reading of Gen. 10 : 11 states, Nimrod. When 
Nineveh became the capital of Assyria is 
not definitely known, but it is generally be- 
lieved it was during the reign of Senna- 
cherib. The prophecies of the books of 
Jonah and Nahum are chiefly directed 
against this city. The latter prophet indi- 
cates the mode of its capture. Nah. 1:1-8; 
2 : 6, 8 ; 3 : 18. Nineveh was the capital of 
Assyria during the height of the grandeur 
of that empire, and in the time of Senna- 
cherib, Esar-haddon, and Assur-bani-pal. It 
was besieged for two years by the combined 
forces of the Medes and Babylonians, was 
captured, and finally destroyed b. c. 606. 

■ 165 



NISROCH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



NOB 



Excavations have been made by M. Botta, 
Layard, Honnu2xi Rassam, Loftus, and 
George Smith. They have brought to hght, 
among others, the following noted build- 
ings : 1. Three ruined temples, built and 
restored by many kings in different ages. 
2. The palace of Shahnaneser, as improved 
by subsequent rulers. 3. A palace of an- 
other ruler, restored by Sennacherib and 
Esar-haddon. 4. A palace of Tiglath-pileser 
n. 5. A temple of Nebo. 6. The south- 
west palace of Sennacherib. 7. The north- 
west palace of the same ruler. 8. The city 
wails buUt by the latter king_ and restored 
by Assur-bani-pal. See Assyria. The proph- 
ecies respecting the destruction of Nine- 
veh are verj' specific ; the prophet seemed 
to see her in her desolation and exclaims : 
" Nineveh hath been from of old like a 
Ix)ol of water. . . Nineveh is laid waste ; 
who will bemoan her ? . . . Thy worthies 
are at rest ; thy people are scattered upon 
the mountains, and there is none to gather 
them." Nah. 2:8; 3:7, 18, R. V. "The 
Lord . . . will make Nineveh a desolation, 
and dry hke the wilderness. And herds 
shall he down in the midst of her, all the 
beasts of the nations ; both the pehcan and 
the porcupine shall lodge in the chapiters 
thereof ; their voice shall ring in the win- 
dows ; desolation shall be in the thresholds 
. . . how is she become a desolation, a 
place for beasts to he down in ! " Zeph. 2 : 
11, 13, 14, 15. These prophecies have been 
literally fulfilled. The citj' was destroyed ; 
its very site was lost and unknown for cen- 
turies; it has now been found, its ruins 
opened, but are uninhabited except by 
wild beasts. 

Nisroch. (jiWrdch), great eagle f An As- 
syrian deit\' in whose temple at Nineveh 
Sennacherib was murdered by his sons, 
Adrammelech and Sharezer. 2 Kings 19 : 
37 ; Isa. 37 : 38. 

Nitre. Pro v. 25 ; 20. This is, no doubt, 
the natron found abundantly in certain 
Egjrptian lakes, 50 miles west of Cairo. 
The Egjytians use it in bread and for soap ; 
also, it is said, mixed Mith vinegar as a 
cure for tootbache. The contranety be- 
tween these two ingredients illustrates the 
place referred to. 

Noab {no'ah), rest. Gen. 6:8. The son 
of Lamech and grandson of Methuselab. 
Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and 
Japheth. In consequence of the hopeless 
wickedness of the world at this time, God 
resolved to destroy it. During this age of 
almost universal apostasy we are told that 
Noah was a righteous man and perfect in 
his generations — i. e., among his contempo- 
raries — and that he, like Enoch, walked 
with God. Gen. 6:9. Peter calls him "a 
preacher of righteousness." 2 Pet. 2 : 5. 
He had three sons, each of whom married 
a wife ; he built the ark in accordance with 
divine direction; and was 600 years old 
when the flood came. Gen. 6 : 7. On com- 
ing from the ark he built an altar, made an 
offering, and received a promise that the 
world should never again be destroyed by 
a flood. Gen. 8 : 20. The closing history in 
his eventful life of 950 years is given in 

1S6 



Gen. 9. Noah was to be the father of a 
new race. From his small family the earth 
was to be repeopled. And 350 years did he 
hve among Ids posterity, a monument of 
God's justice and God"s faithfulness. One 
more incident is related of him. Gen. 9; 
20-27. He planted a vine and drank, know- 
ingly or not ^f e cannot say, too freely of 
the "fruit of it. A shameful scene* en- 
sued. But the patriarch recovered, and in 
the spirit of prophecy predicted happiness 
to his faithful sons, judgment to the un- 
godly. "Let him that thinketh he stand- 
eth take heed lest he fall." The days of 
Noah were 950 years when he died. 

No-amon (no-d'mon), portion, or, temple 
of Amon f A large and most important 
city of Egypt. Nah. 3 : 8-10. This city was 
as mighty as Nineveh ; yet judgment and 
ultimate desolation were threatened against 
it. There can be no doubt that the city in- 
tended was that called Thebes, in upper 
Egypt, seated on both banks of the Nile, 
renowned for its hundred gates and vast 
population, and as being the principal seat 
of the worship of the god Amon. Some of 
the mightiest Egyptian dynasties reigned 
at Thebes, and embellished it with crowds 
of unrivalled palaces and temples. But 
the voice of prophecy proclaimed that it 
should be " rent asunder." This doom be- 
gan to be fulfilled first by the Assyrians. 
See Isa. 20. It is evident' from the' words 
of Nahum that Thebes fell earher than 
Nineveh. Nah. 1 : 1. According to Sir H. 
Rawhnson, Esar-haddon and his son As- 
sux-bani-pal both conquered Egypt, and 
the latter took Thebes twice. Cambyses, 
king of Persia, ruthlessly destroyed it 'and 
burnt and mutilated its remaining monu- 
ments; and its ruin was completed by 
Ptolemy Lathyrus, about 81 B. c. The re- 
mains of this vast city, which appears to 
have been quadrahgular, four miles by two, 
still astonish those who visit them. They 
he 260 miles south of Cairo, including Kaf- 
nak and Luxor. Fragments of colossal 
obeHsks, pillars, and statues are scattered 
over the wide space. The grand hall of 
the temple at Kamak is described as "170 
feet by 329, supported by a central avenue 
of twelve massive columns, 66 feet high — 
without the pedestal and abacus— and 12 
in diameter, besides 122 of smaller or 
rather less gigantic dimensions, 41 feet 9 
inches In height, and 27 feet 6 inches in 
circumference, distributed in seven lines 
on either side of the former." Pictured 
records and hieroglyphic inscriptions 
abound in the temples and the tombs ; 
and when these shall be fully deciphered 
we may hope for much additional infor- 
mation'in regard to Egyptian histpry and 
customs, illustrating and corroborating the 
sacred books. 

Nob {ndb), height, hill. A city in Benja- 
min, on the great road from the north to 
Jerusalem, in the immediate neighborhood 
of which it must have been ; perhaps on 
the ridge of OUvet. The tabernacle seems 
to have been here in the time of Saul, who, 
for the alleged favor shown by the high 
priest Ahimelech to David, destroyed the 



NOD 



OF TEE BIBLE. 



OFFERING 



city, which was, however, afterwards re- 
built. 1 Sam, 21 : 1 ; 22 : 9-19 ; Neh. 11 : 32 ; 
Isa. 10 : 32. 

Nod (ndd), fligM. The reffion eastward 
of Eden, to which Cain fled from the pres- 
ence of Jehovah. Gen. 4 : 14-16. The Chal- 
dee interpreters apply the term to Cain, and 
not to a land : " He dwelt a fu&itive in the 
land." 

Noph. See Memphis. 

Numbers, Book of. The fourth book 
of Moses, and so called on account of the 
two censuses to which it refers. It gives 
some detached legal enactments and many 
valuable historical facts. In the first divi- 
sion, chaps. 1-10 : 10, an account is given 
of the preparations for the departure from 
Sinai. In chap. 6 we have the description 
of the Nazirite s vow. The second division, 
chap. 10 : 11 to chap. 14, contains an account 
of the journey from Sinai to the borders of 
Canaan. In chaps. 13, 14, the spies are 
mentioned by name, and a most interesting 
description is given of their discoveries in 
Canaan, their return to the camp, and the 
treatment they received. The third divi- 
sion, chaps. 15-19, gives various legal en- 
actments and a few historical facts. The 
last division, chaps. 20-36, contains an ac- 
count of the events of the last year before 
crossing the Jordan. In chap. 20 we have 
the description of Moses smiting the rock, 
and the notices of Miriam's and Aaron's 
deaths. In chap. 21 we have a picture of 
the discontentment and rebellion of the 
IsraeUtes, their punishment through fiery 
serpents, and the simple remedy of a brazen 
serpent erected on a pole. Comp. John 3 : 
14, 15. Chaps. 22-24 are concerned with 
Balaam. In chap. 32 the -land east of the 
Jordan is assigned to Reuben and Gad, and 
in chap. 33 a list is given of the various 
stations in the wilderness. 

Nuts. Those mentioned in Gen. 43 : 11 
are doubtless pistachio-nuts, which were 
produced in Syria, but not in Egypt. An- 
other word translated "nuts" in Song of 
Sol. 6 : 11 denotes what are known in our 
markets as "English walnuts," produced 
by a noble tree — Juglans regia — ^which is 
everywhere cultivated in the East. 

o 

Oak, strong. Gen. 35 : 4. No less than 
six Hebrew words are represented by oak 
in the A. V. Sometimes, evidently, the 
terebinth, elm, or teil tree is intended ; at 
others, the oak. There are a number of 
varieties of oak in Palestine. Hos. 4 : 13 ; 
Judg. 6 : 11 ; Isa. 1 : 30 ; Amos 2 : 9. 

Oath. . The forms of solemn affirmation 
mentioned in Scripture are: 1. Lifting up 
the hand. Witnesses laid their hands on 
the head of the accused. Gen. 14 : 22 ; Lev. 
24 : 14 ; Deut. 17 : 7 ; Isa. 3 : 7, A. V., but the 
R. V. reads " he shall lift up his voice." 2. 
Putting the hand under the thigh of the 
person to whom the promise was made. 
Gen. 24 : 2 ; 47 : 29. 3. Oaths were some- 
times taken before the altar, or by an ap- 
peal to Jehovah; "as the LordUveth." 2 



Kings 2 : 2. Comp. 1 Kings 8 : 81 ; 2 Chron. 
6 : 22. 4. Di'S'iding a victim and passing be- 
tween or distributing the pieces. Gen. 15 : 
10, 17 ; Jer. 34 : 18. As the sanctity of oaths 
was carefully inculcated by the law, so the 
crime of perjury was strongly condemned; 
and to a false witness the same punishment 
was assigned which was due for the crime 
to which he testified. Ex. 20 : 7 ; Lev. 19 : 
12. The New Testament has prohibitions 
against swearing. Matt. 5 : 34-37 ; Jas. 5 : 
12. It cannot be supposed that it was in- 
tended by these to censure every kind of 
oath. For our Lord himself made solemn 
asseverations equivalent to an oath; and 
Paul repeatedly, in his inspired epistles, 
calls God to witness the truth of what he 
was saying. The intention was, as Alford 
well notes upon Matt. 5 : 34-37, to show 
" that the proper state of Christians is to 
require no oaths; that, when evil is ex- 
pelled from among them, every yea and 
nay will be as decisive as an oath, every 
promise as binding as a vow." 

Obadiah {6'ha-dt'ah or db'a-di'ah), ser- 
vant of Jehovah. The name of 13 persons 
in Scripture. The most noted of these were : 

1. The officer of Ahab's court who hid 150 
prophets from Jezebel. 2. The prophet 
whose prophecy is placed fourth among 
the minor prophecies. Absolutely nothing 
is known of his life. His prophecy was 
possibly uttered subsequently to B. c. 588, 
as we draw from verse 11. The captivity 
of this verse is in all probability that by 
Nebuchadnezzar in b. c. 588. 

^ Prophecy of, contains a general accusa- 
tion of Edom, and an account of the pros- 
perity of Zion when Jacob should return 
from his captivity and Esau be discomfited. 
There is a striking resemblance between 
the first nine verses of this prophecy and 
Jer. 49 : 7-16. One prophet must have read 
the other's prophecy, 

Obed-edom {6'hed-e'dom) servant of 
Edom. 1. A Gittite who Uved in David's 
time, 1 Chron. 13 : 13, and at whose house 
the ark was left, after the dreadful death 
of Uzzah. 2 Sam. 6:6-10. The blessing 
which came on the house of Obed-edom 
for the ark's sake encouraged David to 
remove it to Jerusalem, 2 Sam. 6 : 10-12, 

2. The temple-treastuer in the reign of 
Amaziah. 2 Chron. 25 : 24. 

Oded (o'ded), erecting. 1. The father of 
the prophet Azariah, who flourished in 
Asa's reign. 2 Chron. 15 : 1-8. In v. 8 Oded 
is called "prophet," where probably "the 
son " is meant. 2. A prophet at the time 
of Pekah's invasion of Judah who pre- 
vailed upon the victorious army to let the 
captives free. 2 Chron. 28 : 9-11. 

Offering, Gen. 4 : 3, Oblation, Lev. 2 : 7, 
The offerings in Jewish worship were either 
bloody or bloodless, or animal and vege- 
table. Of animals only tame ones were used, 
as oxen, goats, and sheep, and the dove. 
Lev. 5 : 11, etc. From the vegetable king- 
dom, wine, flour, etc., were set apart. Hu- 
man sacrifices or offerings were especially 
forbidden. Lev. 18 : 21 ; 20 : 2. The first of- 
fering of which record is made are those 
of Cain aud Abel Gen. 4 ; 3-8. Tiie r econd 

W 



OG 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



OLTV^ES, MOUNT OF 



oflPering is that of Noah, Gen. 8 : 20, after 
the flood. The various offerings were the 
burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, peace-offer- 
ings, and the sin and trespass-offerings. 
The burnt-offering was to be a male without 
blemish, of the herd and of the flock, of- 
fered voluntarily at the door of the taber- 
nacle, the hand' of the offerer being upon 
the head of the victim. Lev. 1 : 2-4. The 
design of the burnt-oflering was an atone- 
ment for sin. Lev. 1:4; comp. Heb. 10 : 1-3, 
11. It was presented everv dav, Ex. 29 : 38- 
42, on the Sabbath, Num. 28 : 9, 10, and on 
the great day of atonement, Lev. 16 : 3, and 
the three great festivals. Num. 28 : 11-31 ; 
29. The meat-offering, R. V., "meal-offer- 
ing," consisted of flour, or cakes, prepared 
with oil and frankincense. Lev. 2:1; 6 : 
14-23. It was to be free from leaven and 
honey, but was to have salt. Lev. 2 : 11, 13. 
With this was connected the drink-offering, 
which was never used separately, but was 
an appendage of wine to some sacrifices. 
Ex. 29 : 41. A meal-offering was presented 
every day with the burnt-offering. Ex. 29 : 
40, 4i. The first-fruits, offered at Pentecost, 
Lev. 23 : 17-20, and at the Passover, Lev. 23 : 
10-14, were called wave-offerings ; those i 
offered in harvest-time, Num. 15 : 20, 21, | 
heave-offerings. Peace-offerings were eu- 
charistic in their nature, and were offered 
in thanksgiving or at a special dedication 
of something to the Lord. Lev. 3 ; 7 : 11-21. 
The animal as well as the vegetable king- 
dom contributed to this class of offerings. 
The sui and trespass-offerings were expia- 
tory. They included an offering for the 
sins of ignorance. Lev. 4 : 2. There are sins 
that are " debts " to God, more numerous, 
it may be, than o\xx transgressions. The 
prayer the Lord taught regards sins as 
"debts." Matt. 6:12. Our thanksgivings 
now are to be offered through Christ, and 
the Hebrews were required to present sacri- 
fices with their thanksgivings. Lev. 7 : 15. 
Sin-offerings were presented by the high 
priest for personal offences, for national 
sins, and on the great day of atonement, 
when he confessed the sins of the whole 
nation with his hand on the scapegoat's 
head, and the goat was driven off into the 
Avilderness. Lev. 16, etc. These offerings 
all had a typical significance, and pre- 
figured the atonement of Jesus Christ, on 
whom was laid the iniquity of us all, and 
" his own self bare our sins in his own body 
on the tree." 1 Pet. 2 : 24. 

Og {6g) long-necked ? A king of Bashan, 
of gigantic stature, Deut. 3 : 11, who opposed 
the passage of the Israelites through his 
territories. Deut. 3:1. He was defeated in 
a pitched battle in Edrei, and, together 
■ftith his sons, was slain. Deut. 1:4; Num. 
21 : 33, 34. His sixty fenced and walled 
cities were given with Bashan and all his 
kingdom to the half-tribe of Manasseh. 
Deut. 3 : 3. 4 ; Num. 32 : 33. He was a giant. 
Josh. 13 : 12, and his long iron bedstead was 
regarded as a curiosity, and was preserved 
as a memorial of his huge stature. Deut. 
3:11. 

Oil. The Hebrews used olive oil as but- 
ter and as animal fat is used with us. Deut. 
168 



32 : 13 ; Job. 24 : 11 ; Ezek. 16 : la In some 
of the Hebrew thank-offerings oil was 
taken with the meat-offering. Lev. 5 : 11 ; 
7 : 12 : Num. 5 : 15 ; 6 : 15 ; Ex. 29 : 40. Oil was 
used for anointing the head and the body ; 
and in the preparation of ointments. Ex. 
30 : 24 ; 2 Sam. 14 : 2 ; Ps. 23 : 5; 92 : 10 ; 104 : 
15 ; Prov. 21 : 17 ; Luke 7 : 46. The appUca- 
tion of oil for medicinal purposes pre- 
vailed in the earliest periods. Isa. 1:6; 
Hos. 12 : 1 ; Mark 6 : 13 ; James 5 : 14, 15. 
Olive oil was extensively used for the lamps 
in the tabernacle. Ex. "27 : 20. The use of 
oil is significant of gladness, Ps. 141 : 5 ; Isa. 
61 : 3, and the omission of it betokened sor- 
row. 2 Sam. 14 : 2 ; Matt. 6 : 17. Oil was 
also the svmbol of abundance and festivitv. 
Deut. 28 : 40 ; Ezek. 27 : 17. The anointing 
with oil was symbolical of the unction of the 
Holy Spirit. Ps. 45 : 7 : Zech. 4 : 14 : Isa. 61 : 
1 ; 1 John 2 : 20. 

Old Testament. See Scriptures. 

Olive, Olive-Tree. 1 Kings 6: 23. The 
olive, olea EurQpsea. It grows plentifully 
almost everj'where near the shores of the 
Mediterranean, and is abundant in Pales- 
tine. Deut. 6 : 11 : 8:8. OUve yards are 
therefore commonly mentioned a,s a consid- 
able part of a man's propertv, 1 Sam. 8 : 
14 ; 1 Chron. 27 : 28. This tree flourishes in 
Syria, in warm and sunny situations, on a 
rocky soil, at a height not greater than 
about 3000 feet above the level of the sea. 
It increases slowly to a moderate altitude 
of twenty or thirty feet, with a knotty 
trunk, and ninnerous extended branches. 
The leaves grow in pairs, of a pale dusty 
color, and are not deciduous. The white 
flowers appear in June ; and the fruit is an 
oblong berry, first green, and, when fully 
ripe, a blackish-purple. The wood is some- 
thing like box, but softer, with dark gray 
veins. The ohve tree hves to a great age. 
With an olive leaf in her mouth the dove 
returned to Noah when the waters of the 
flood were abated. Gen. 8 : 11. The high 
esrimation in which the ohve tree was held 
is seen by its being placed firet in Jotham's 
parable. " Judg. 9 : 8, 9. And it is often 
menrioned as indicating plenty, prosperity, 
and strength ; the allusion taking its force 
from the products, from the evergreen char- 
acter, and the protracted existence of the 
tree, e.g., Ps. 52:8, an olive being often 
planted in the court of a building, Ps. 128 : 
3, young shoots springing, from an old 
trunk ; Jer. 11 : 16 : Hos. 14 : 6. And various 
apphcarions of the berries are referred to, 
Deut. 24 : 20, the oil, Lev. 24 : 2, which was 
an article of commerce, 1 Kings 5 : 11, and 
the wood, 6 : 31-33. 

Olives, the Mount of, Olivet, Mount. 
A mountain ridge to the east of Jerusalem, 
from which it is separated by the valley of 
Jehoshaphat. It has three or four summits 
or peaks. The mount of Ohves. called also 
Olivet, and by the Arabs at present Jebel 
et-Tur. a name they give to elevated sum- 
mits generally, was' so styled from the ohve 
trees which clothed its sides. Some of these 
still remain; and on part of the hill are 
corn-fields; and in a few half-cultivated 
gardens are fig and pomegranate trees. 



OMEGA 



OF THE BIBLE. 



OPHTR 



Olivet is mentioned several times in the 
Old Testament. Up its slopes David, tleeing 
from Jerusalem for fear of Absalom, went 
wearied and weeping. Here he met Hushai 
and Ziba. 2 Sam. 15 : 30 ; 16 : 4. It is also 
referred to by Zechariah. Zech. 14 : 4. 
From Olivet our Lord looked down upon 
Jerusalem and wept bitter tears over itsper- 
verseness. Over Olivet he passed to and fro 
visiting Bethany. On the side of Olivet 
was Gethsemane. On Olivet, the last 
charge was given to the disciples who were 
thenceforth to build up the Christian 
church, and from its top Christ ascended to 
reign till every enemy shall be subdued be- 
neath his feet. Matt. 24 : 3 ; 26 : 30 ; Mark 11 : 
1-20 ; 13 : 3 ; 14 : 26; Luke 19 : 29-44 ; 21 : 37 ; 
22 : 39 ; John 8:1; Acts 1 : 9-12. Christ did 
not ascend from the spot where now stands 
the church of the Ascension : it was rather 
from some point over the svnnmit, near 
to Bethany. Luke 24 : 50, 51. The views 
from this mount in dift'erent directions are 
extensive ; Jerusalem on one side, on an- 
other there are the dreary hills over which 
the road passes to Jericho, with the north- 
ern end of the Dead Sea visible, and the 
mountains of Moab beyond. The highest 
point of Olivet is 2682 feet above the sea- 
level. 

Omega {o-me'gah, or o'me-gah). The last 
letter in the Greek alphabet. See Alpha. 

Omri {&m'ri), pupil of Jehovah. 1. 1 Kings 
16 : 16, A general of the Israelitish army, 
who was made king during the siege 
of Gibbethon. The army had heard that 
Zimri had assassinated Elah the king, 
and had usurped the throne ; instantly the 
siege was raised, they forthwith marched to 
Tirzah, where Zimri resided, and captured 
it. The Israelites were then divided into 
two parties, one of which had made Tibni 
king ; but after a struggle of about six years, 
Omri prevailed, and took the throne, which 
he disgraced, from 928-917 B. c. Omri, who is 
called on an Assyrian monument Khumri, 
founded Samaria, which thenceforth be- 
came the capital of the ten tribes. 1 Kings 
16 : 16-30 ; Micah 6 : 16. 2. A descendant of 
Benjamin. 1 Chron. 7:8. 3. A descendant 
of Judah. 1 Chron. 9:4. 4. A descendant 
of Issachar. 1 Chron. 27 : 18. 

On {6n), sun, light. A noted city of Lower 
Egypt, Gen. 41 : 45, 50 ; called Beth-shemesh, 
or "house of the sun," Jer. 43 : 13, and 
known to the Greeks as Heliopolis, or " city 
of the sun." Ezek. 30 : 17, A. V., margin. 
Some suppose it to be referred to as the 
" city of destruction " in Isa. 19 : 18, 19. On 
was situated upon the Pelusiac branch of 
the Nile, about 20 miles northeast of ancient 
Memphis, and 6 miles north from Cairo. 
The origin and founder of On are unknown, 
but it has an obelisk which has been stand- 
ing about 4000 years. It has been consid- 
ered the Rome and the Athens of ancient 
Egypt, the centre of its religion and learn- 
ing. In it stood the great temple of Ra, 
with one exception the most famous ancient 
shrine in Egypt. Its companies of priests 
and attendants are reputed to have num- 
bered over 12,000. The legend of the won- 
der-bird Phoenix, early used to illustrate 



the doctrine of the resurrection, arose 
here ; to this city Joseph, delivered from 
prison, came with royal honors to marry 
the daughter of Potipherab, "dedicated 
to Ra." Josephus reports that On was the 
home of Jacob on his arrival in Egypt. In 
its grandeur it was the resort of men of 
learning from all countries. In its schools 
and universities Moses, according to Mane- 
tho, was instructed in all the learning of 
the Egyptians, and hither came Plato, Eu- 
doxus,*and the wisest of the Greeks to be 
initiated into the mystic lore of its priests. 
From the teachers of its ancient schools 
Herodotus gained his knowledge of the 
country and its history. The site of this 
once famous city is now marked with a 
few ruins of massive walls, fragments of 
sphinxes, a noted obelisk of red granite of 
Syene (one of the two which stood before 
the temple of the Sun). The obelisk, 
bearing the name of Usurtesen 1., and rising 
amid the desolation, is 66 feet high. 2. 
Name of a person. Num. 16 : 1. 

Onesimus {o-nis'i-mus), useful. A slave 
of Philemon, in whose behalf Paul wrote 
the Epistle to Philemon. Col. 4 : 9. 

Onesipliorus {6n'e-s^fo-rus), profit- 
bringing. A primitive Christian who min- 
istered to the wants of Paul at Ephesus, 
and afterward sought him out at Rome 
and openly sympathized with him. 2 Tim. 
1 : 16-18 ; 4 : i9. 

Ono (p'no), strong. A town in Benjamin 
and reoccupied after the captivity. 1 
Chron. 8 : 12 ; Ezra 2 : 33 ; Neh. 7 : 37. A 
plain and a valley — the two perhaps iden- 
tical — were connected with it. Neh. 6:2; 
11 : 35 ; 1 Chron. 8 : 12. It is named with 
Lod, and may be a few miles north of 
Lydda (Lod). 

Onyx. Gen. 2 : 12 ; Ex. 28 : 9, 20 ; 35 : 9, 
27 ; 1 Chron. 29 : 2 ; Job 28 : 16 ; Ezek. 28 : 
13. Opinions diflFer as to the gem intended 
by this word; some prefer translating it 
"beryl." The onyx has its particles ar- 
ranged in parallel layers ; white alternat- 
ing with blue, gray, or brown. It was 
much used by the ancients for cameos. 

Ophel (d'fet), hill, swelling. A hill of 
ancient Jerusalem and fortified by a wall. 
2 Chron. 27 : 3 ; 33 : 14 ; Neh. 3 : 26, 27 ; 11 : 
21, but it is now outside the walls of the 
city. See Jerusalem. 

Opliir (6'flr), abundance. 1. One of the 
sons of Joktan. Gen. 10 : 29 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 
23. 2. A seaport or region from which the 
Hebrews in the time of Solomon obtained 
gold. The gold was proverbial for its fine- 
ness, so that "gold of Ophir" is several 
times used as an expression for fine gold, 1 
Chron. 29 :4 ; Job 28 : 16 ; Ps. 45 : 9 : Isa. 13 : 
12 ; and in one passage, Job 22 : 24, the word 
Ophir by itself is used for gold of Ophir, 
and for gold generally. In addition to gold 
the vessels brought from Ophir almug wood 
and precious stones. The precise situation 
of Ophir has long been a subject of discus- 
sion. It is safe to conclude that Ophir was 
in southern Arabia, upon the border of the 
Indian Ocean ; for even if all the things 
brought over in Solomon's ships are not 
now found In Arabia, but are found in In- 

169 



OPHRAH 



PEOPLE'S DlCTIOXABY 



PALESTINE 



dia, yet there is evidence that they once 
were'known in Arabia. 

Ophrah {of rah), female favm. 1. A town 
in Benjamin toward which an invading 
company of Phihstines went. Josli. 18 : 
23 ; 1 Sam. 13 : 17. Some suppose it L* iden- 
ticai with Ephrain or Ephron, 2 Chron. 13 : 
19, and with the city of Ephraim, to which 
our Lord retired after raising Lazarus. 
John 11 : 5L Eusebius and Jerome located 
it about five Roman miles east of Bethel. 
2. Ophrah of the Abi-ezerite. Judg. 6 : 11, 
24. This was the place where Gideon saw 
the angel, erected an altar, and where he 
was buried. Judg. 8 : 27, 32. Here Abime- 
lech slew 70 of his kindred, and the town 
appears to have been near Shechem, in the 
territory of Manasseh. Judg. 9:1, 5, 6, 15. 
The Palestine Memoirs suggest as its site 
the village of Eerata, near Shechem. 

Oreb [d'r€b), raven. The " rock of Oreb " 
was named after Oreb, one of the princes 
of ^lidian, whom the men of Ephraim 
slew. Judg. 7 : 25 : Isa. 10 : 26. Reland and 
others would locate Oreb east of the Jor- 
dan and in the neighborhood of Bethshean, 
at a place called Orbo. 

Organ. Gen. 4 : 21, A. V., " pipe," R. V., 
meaning a wind instrument of music, like 
a flute or clarionet. 

Orion {o-ri'on). A constellatioD of about 
80 stars, south of Tatmos, and, partly, of 
the equator. Job 9 : 9. The constellation 
is also mentioned in Job 38 : 31 and Amos 
5:8. 

Ossifrage {os'si-Jrage), bone-breaker. 
Lev. 11 : 13 ; the " gier-eagle." R. V. 

Ostrich. Job 30 : 29 ; Isa. 13 : 21 5 34 : 
13 ; Jer. 50 : 39 ; Micah 1:8: Lam. 4 : 3. The 
largest of the feathered tribe, exceedingly 
swift, employing its wings which are use- 
less for flight to aid it in running. It is 
voracious, and will swallow any hard sub- 
stance, as stones or metal : but these are to 
assist the action of the gizzard. Sometimes, 
however, it is said that its indiscrtminating 
appetite proves fatal to it. Several female 
ostriches lay their eggs in a single nest, a 
mere shallow hole in the sand, and then 
carefully cover them. In very hot climates 
the sun's heat on them is sufficient in the 
daytime without incubation by the parent 
birds ; but in less sultn- regions both male 
and female are said to sit upon the eggs. 
There are also other eggs scanered near 
which are apparently neglected, but are 
reaUy designed for the food of the young 
birds' when hatched. These habits are the 
result of the instinct ^\'ith which the Deity 
has endowed the ostrich: but some of 
them are so strange as to have given rise to 
an Arabian proverb, "As fooUsh as an os- 
trich." And this is sufficient to justify the 
statement in the book of Job. Scripture 
must, of course, be composed in popular 
language ; and the meaning here is evi- 
dently not that the bird is through stupid- 
itj- unfaithful to its instinct, but that that 
instinct is of a kind which seems to imply 
want of forethought and natural care. 

Othniel {Oth'ni-eT}, lion of God. The suc- 
cessor of Joshua. He was the son of Kenaz, 
the younger brother of Caleb, of the tribe 

170 



of Judah ; and for his valor in seizing the 
city of Debir. he was rewarded by the gift 
of Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, in mar- 
riage. He delivered the Hebrews from the 
bondage in which they had been held for 
eight years by the Mesopotamians, and 
during the 40 'years of his administration 
the Hebrews remained faithful to Jehovah. 
Josh. 15 : 16-19 ; Judg. 1 : 11-15 ; 3 : &-11 ; 1 
Chron. 4 : 13. 

Ouches. The Hebrew word mishbetzoth, 
rendered ouches, signifies settings, bezels, 
in which gems are set, hence the sockets 
for fastening the precious stones in the 
shoulder-pieces of the high priest's ephod. 
Ex. 28 : 11, 14, 25 ; 39 : 13-16. 

Oven. The Eastern oven is of two 
kinds — fixed and ponable. The former Is 
found only in towns, where regular bakers 
are employed. Hos. 7 : 4. The latter is 
adapted to'the nomad state. It consists of 
a large jar made of clay, about three feet 
high and widening toward the bottom, 
with a hole for the extraction of the ashes. 
Each household ix)ssessed such an article, 
Ex. 8:3; and it was only in times of ex- 
treme dearth that the same oven sufficed 
for several famihes. Lev. 26 : 26. It was 
heated with dr\- twigs and grass. Matt. 6 : 
30, and the loaves were placed both inside 
and outside of it. 



Padan-aram (pd'dan-d'ram), the low 
highland, where Abraham got a wife for 
his son Isaac, Gen. 25 : 20 ; 28 : 2, 5, 7, and 
Jacob found his wives, and where Laban 
hved. Gen. 31 : 18 ; 33 : 18 ; 35 : 9, 26 ; 46 : 
15. It is the region between the two great 
rivers Euphrates and Tigris. 

Palestine (pdl'es-t'tne), land of sojourners. 
Joel 3:4; comp. Ex. 15 : 14 ; Isa. 14 : 29, 31. 
A small country east of the Mediterranean 
Sea, sacred ahke to Jew, Mohammedan, 
and Christian. In length it is about 140 
miles, in average breadth not more than 
40 between the Mediterranean westward, 
and the deep Jordan valley to the east, 
while to the north it is closed in by Leba- 
non and Anti-hbanus, and bordered" on the 
south by the desert. It lay on the direct 
route be'tween the great ancient empires of 
Asia and northern Africa, and exposed to 
peril from both. The physical structure of 
Palestine is pecuhar. It is mountainous, 
but among these mountains are plains and 
valleys and torrent-beds. The mountain 
mass' which occupies the central part is 
bordered on each side east and west by a 
lowland belt. On the west the plains of 
Philistia and Sharon he between the Medi- 
terranean and the hills, interrupted by a 
ridge which, shooting out &om the main 
highlands, terminates in the bold promon- 
tory of CarmeL To the north of this ridge 
the low plain widens and extends in one 
part its undulating surface quite across the 
country to the Jordan. And still farther 
to the 'north is Phcenicia with headlands 
down to the sea. The eastern depre^on 
is most remarkable. It is a deep cleft Ik 



PALM, PALM TREE 



OF THE BIBLE. 



PARTHIANS 



which lie a chain of lakes connected by 
the Jordan. And the bottom of this cleft 
is, in its lower part, far below (1300 feet) 
the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Owing 
to this extraordinary depression, the slopes 
on the eastern side of the central elevated 
land are much more abrupt and rugged 
than on the west. The southern hill coun- 
try is dry and bare. There is Uttle wood ; 
it is near upon the desert, and possesses 
few springs of water. The hill tops are 
rounded and monotonous — the eastern part 
of the tract being but an arid wilderness. 
And a noteworthy feature in these hills is 
the abundance of caverns, partly natural, 
partly, perhaps, artificial. Northward the 
country improves. There are more fertile 
plains winding among the hUls, more veg- 
etation and more wood, till in the north 
the swelling hills are clothed with beauti- 
ful trees, and the scenery is pleasing, often- 
times romantic. In central and north 
Palestine, too, there are gushing fountains 
of water, imparting fertility to the valleys 
through which they -ponv their streams. 
The Phihstine plain is one vast grainfield, 
yielding the most abundant increase. And 
dry and barren as are many of the hills at 
present, there is evidence enough that in 
earlier happier days they were terraced, 
wooded, and productive: "a good land, a 
land of brooks of water, of fountains and 
depths that spring out of valleys and hills ; 
a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, 
and fig trees, and pomegranates ; a land 
of oil oUve and honey ... a land whose 
stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou 
mayest dig brass." Deut. 8 : 7-9. Palestine 
was early inhabited by seven tribes — as, Hit- 
tites, Gergashites, Amorites, Canaanites, 
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, Deut. 7 : 
1 ; and other tribes are also noted as occu- 
pying adjacent regions. Gen. 10 : 15-19 ; 
15 : 18-21 ; Num. 13 : 28, 29. It became after- 
wards the land of Israel ; but, when judg- 
ment fell upon the Hebrews for their sins, 
they were removed, and there was at dif- 
ferent times a large influx of foreign jMjpu- 
lation, eastern nations, 2 Kings 17 : 24 ; Ezra 
4 : 9, 10, Greeks, etc. ; so that even in our 
Lord's time the inhabitants of Palestine 
were of a mixed character ; and in later 
ages additional foreign elements were in-^ 
troduced. See Judaea, Galilee. 

Palm, Palm Tree. Ex. 15 : 27 ; Lev. 
23 : 40 ; Deut. 34 : 3. There are several hun- 
dred species of palm ; but the Fhcenix dac- 
tylifera, or date-palm, is that which, grow- 
ing in Palestine, is often referred to in 
Scripture. Its fruit furnishes ^ considera- 
ble part of subsistence to the inhabitants 
of Egypt, Persia, and Arabia. A conserve 
is also made of it with sugar; while the 
stones are ground in the handmills for the 
food of camels. Baskets, bags, mats, etc., 
are manufactured of the leaves ; the trunk 
la spUt up, and is serviceable in various 
ways; the webhke integuments at the 
bases of the leaves are twisted into ropes : 
the sap is collected, and is at first a sweet- 
ish mild beverage, but afterwards ferments, 
and a kind of aip-ack is produced from it 
by distillation. Every part, therefore, of 



the tree has its use. The names of many 
places show that palms were abundant: 
Ehm, Elath, Hazezon-tamar — "felhng of 
palm tree " — Gen. 14 : 6 ; Bethany, " house 
of dates." John 11 : 1 ; 12 : 13. 

Palmer-worm. Heb. gdzdm. Joel 1 : 
4 ; 2 : 25 ; Amos 4 : 9. Probably some spe- 
cies of locust or caterpillar is intended. 

Palsy. Matt. 4 : 24 ; 8 : 6 ; Luke 6 : 6. The 
loss of sensation or power of motion in any 
part of the body. A hand thus affected was 
called " a withered hand." Matt. 12 : 10-13. 
Several palsied or paralytic persons were 
cured by Jesus. Matt. 4 ; 24 ; 8 : 13 ; John 5 : 
5-7. 

Pampliylia (pam-ftl'i-ah), of every tribe. 
A Roman province in the south of Asia 
Minor. It was in Pamphyha that Paul first 
entered Asia Minor, after preaching the 
gospel in Cyprus, Acts 13 : 13 ; 14 : 24 ; 27 : 5. 

Pannag. Ezek. 27 : 17. Some kind of 
spice or millet, or " perhaps a kind of con- 
fection," R. V. margin. 

Paplios (pd'fos), boiling, or hot. Acts 13 : 
6. A town at the west end of the island of 
Cyprus. It was founded b. c. 1184. Paul 
and Barnabas travelled, on their first mis- 
sionary tour, "through the isle," from Pa- 
phos to Salamis. Acts 13 : 6. Paphos was 
given to the worship of Aphrodite or Venus, 
who was fabled to have here risen from the 
sea. 

Parable (from a Greek word signifying 
comparison) is used in the Bible in both 
the wide and a narrow sense. In the first 
case it comprises all forms of teaching by 
analogy, and all forms of figurative speech, 
and is applied to metaphors, whether ex- 
panded into narratives, Ezek. 12 : 22, or not. 
Matt. 24 : 32 ; to proverbs and other short 
sayings, 1 Sam. 10 : 12 ; 24 : 13 ; 2 Chron. 7 : 
20 ; Luke 4 : 23 ; to dark utterances or signs 
of prophetic or symbolical meaning. Num. 
23:17, 18; 24:3; Ezek. 20:49; Heb. 9:9, etc. 
In the second case it means a short narra- 
tive of some every-day event, by which 
some great spiritual truth is conveyed to the 
hearer. For hst of parables of Christ see 
Appendix. 

Paran, El-paran {pafran), place of cav* 
ems. A desert or wilderness south of Pales- 
tine, and near the wilderness of Etham, 
which separated it from the Gulf of Suez 
and Egypt. Paran is named in connection 
with the invasion of the confederate kings, 
Gen. 14 : 6, and in the story of Hagar, Gen. 
21 : 21. In the detailed itinerary of the chil- 
dren of Israel, Num. 33, many stations in Pa- 
ran are recorded, Num. 33 : 17-49, and prob- 
ably all the eighteen stations there men- 
tioned between Hazeroth and Kadesh were 
in Paran. Through this very wide wilder- 
ness, from pasture to pasture, as do modem 
Arab tribes, the Israelites wandered in ir- 
regular hues of march. 

Parthians (jpdr'thi-anz). Acts 2: 9. The 
inhabitants of Parthia. It lay east of Me- 
dia. Parthia was raised into a distinct 
kingdom by Arsaces, b. c. 256. It soon ex- 
tended itself over a great part of the ancient 
Persian empire. The Parthians were es- 
teemed the most expert horsemen and arch- 
ers in the world; and their skill in di»- 

171 



PAS-DAM>nM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



PAUL 



charging arrows while in full flight is fre- 
quently celebrated by Roman poets. 

Pas-daminim {pels' dam' mim), boundary 
of blood. The scene of fierce contests be- 
tween the Israelites and the Phihstines. 1 
Chron. 11 : 13. It is called Ephes-dammim 



in 1 Sam. 17 : 1 ; perhaps Damum, about 11 
miles southwest of Jerusalem. 

Passover, the principal annual feast of 
the Jews. Comp. 1 Cor. 5 : 7, 8. It was ap- 
pointed to commemorate the " passing 
over " of the families of the Israehtes when 
the destroying angel smote the first-bom of 
Egypt, and also their departure from the 
land of bondage. Ex.12. At even of the 14th 
day of the first month (Nisan) the Passover 
was to be celebrated, and on the 15th day 
commenced the seven days' feast of unleav- 
ened bread. The term " Passover " is strictly 
apphcable only to the meal of the paschal 
lamb, and the feast of unleavened bread 
was celebrated on the 15th onward for 
seven days to the 21st inclusive. This 
order is recognized in Josh. 5 : 10, 11. But 
in the sacred history the term " Passover" 
is used also to denote the whole period— the 
14th dav, and the festival of the seven davs 
following. Luke 2 : 41 ; John 2 : 13, 23 ; 6 : 
4 ; 11 : 55. As to the time of the celebration 
of the Passover, it is expressly appointed 
"between the two evenings," Ex. 12:6; 
Lev. 23 : 5 ; Niun. 9 : 3, 5, or, as it is else- 
where expressed, "at even, at the going 
down of the sun." Deut. 16 : 6. This is 
supposed to denote the commencement of 
the 15th day of Nisan, or at the moment 
when the 14th day closed and the 15th be- 
gan. The twenty-four hours, reckoned 
from this point of time to the same period of 
the next day, or 15th, was the day of the 
Passover. At sunset of the 14th day the 15th 
began, and with it the feast of unleavened 
bread. The lamb was to be selected on the 
10th day, and kept till the 14th day, in the 
evening of which day it was to be killed. 
Ex. 12 : 3-6. The feast began by the hand- 
ing around of a cup of wine mixed with 
water ; over which the head of the family 
or the chief of the association pronounced 
the benediction. The lamb, roasted whole, 
and the other dishes were then placed on 
the table, and after a second cup of wine 
the meal was eaten. Everybody present 
partook of the Lamb, the bitter herbs, and 
the unleavened bread, and care was taken 
that no bone was broken. "What was left 
of the flesh was immediately burnt. After 
the meal follo\ved the third cup of wine, 
then the singing of psalms and hymns, and 
finally a fourth, and perhaps a fifth, cup of 
wine. Then followed the feast of unleav- 
ened bread, occupying seven days, the first 
and last of which were peculiarlv holv, 
like the Sabbath. Ex. 12 :15, 16. That the 
Passover was a type of the sacrifice of 
Christ is clearly shown by Christ himself, 
where he says,"" With desire I have desired 
to eat this passover ^ith you before I sufler : 
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat 
thereof, until it be fulfilled in the king- 
dom of God." Luke 22 : 15, 16. He at that 
time instituted what is called the Lord's 
Supper to commemorate his death and 
172 



which since then has taken the place of 
the Passover in his church. 

Pastors (shepherds). This word occurs 
but once in the New Testament. Eph. 4 : 
11. In all other places where the Greek 
word occurs it is translated shepherd, and 
shepherds. It is often apphed to Christ as 
the Shepherd and Bisliop of our souls; 
John 10 : 11 : 1 Pet. 2 : 25. It refers to the el- 
ders of the church, who are to " feed (shep- 
herd) the flock of God which is among you, 
taking the oversight thereof." 1 Pet. 5 : 1, 2 ; 
Acts 20 : 28. 

Patara (pdt'a-rah), a seaport town on 
the southwest shore of Lycia, near the left 
bank of Xanthus, and "opix)site Rhodes. 
Acts 21 : 1, 2. It was about seven miles east 
of the mouth of the river, had a conve- 
nient harbor, and was visited by ships of 
all nations. The gospel was early preached 
there. The city was given up to the wor- 
ship of Apollo," its founder, Patarus, being 
reputed to be a son of that god. Patara is 
now in ruins, but retains its ancient name. 

Pathros (pdth'ros), region of thesovih. A 
district of Egypt near Thebes. The country 
is mentioned in the Prophets, and nearly 
alwavs in connection with Egypt. Isa. 11 ; 
11 ; Jer. 44 : 1-15 ; Ezek. 29 : 14. Its inhabi- 
tants were known as the Pathrusim, the 
descendants of Ham through Mizraim. 
Gen. 10 : 14 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 12. 

Patmos {pat'mos). Rev. 1:9. A little 
rugged island in the ^Egean Sea, 24 miles 
west of Asia Minor. It is from 15 to 25 
miles in circumference, and is very rocky 
and barren. The barrenness of the island 
made it a suitable spot for the banishment 
of Roman criminals. To it the apostle 
John was banished by the emperor Domit- 
ian, A. D. 95. Its rocky soUtude well suited 
the subUme natiire of the Revelation. 

Paul (pawl), small. Originally named 
Saul, he is first called Paul in Acts. He was 
a Jew of piu-e Hebrew descent, of the tribe 
of Benjamin, circumcised according to the 
law when eight days old, born at Tar- 
sus in Cihcia, and by birth a ft-ee Roman 
citizen. Acts 22 : 28." He was taught, ac- 
cording to Jewish custom, a trade, that of 
tentmaker — i. e., the maniifacturing of 
goats' hair cloth, commonly used for tents. 
But he was early sent to Jerusalem, where 
he was trained under the famous- Gama- 
liel. Acts 21 : 39 : 22 : 3, 27, 28 ; Phil. 3 : 5. 
Of his family we know nothing, save that 
he had a nephew, who detected a conspi- 
racy against his life. Acts 23 : 16-22. He 
was a fierce defender of Judaism and a 
bitter enemy of Christianity. Acts 8:3; 
26 : 9^11. Of his miraculous conversion, 
we have three accounts — Acts, chaps. 9, 22, 
26. Christ revealed himself to him near 
and at Damascus. Acts 26 : 15 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 
8. His advocacy of Jesus as the Jewish 
Messiah exposed him everj'where to the 
hatred and malice of his countrymen. He 
made four missionarj- tours, preaching 
Christ and planting churches in Asia Mi- 
nor, Macedonia, and Greece, and making 
several visits to Jerusalem, narrated in the 
Acts. He was accused by the rulers of the 
Jews, arrested at Jerusalem by the Roman 



PEKAH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



PEKAHIAH 



officers, and after being detained for two 
years or more at Csesarea, he was sent to 
Rome for trial, having himself appealed to 
Csesar. It is quite probable, as Christians 
beUeved in the earlier centuries, that the 
apostle was acquitted and discharged from 
his first imprisonment in Rome at the end 
of two years, and that he afterwards re- 
turned to Rome, where he was again impris- 
oned and put to death by Nero. The fol- 
lowing is a summary of the chief events in 
the life of Paul, taken from Schaff 's Die- 
tionary of the Bible : 

A. r>. 

Paul's conversion , 37 

Sojourn in Arabia 37-40 

First journey to Jerusalem after his 
conversion, Gal. 1 : 18 ; sojourn at 
Tarsus, and afterward at Antioch. 

Acts 11 : 26 40 

Second journey to Jerusalem, in com- 
pany with Barnabas, to relieve the 

famine 44 

Paul's first great missionary journey, 
with Barnabas and Mark : Cyprus, 
Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium,Lystra, 
Derbe ; return to Antioch in Syria.. 45-49 
Apostolic Council at Jerusalem ; con- 
flict between Jewish and Gentile 
Christianity; Paul's third journey 
to Jerusalem, with Barnabas and 
Titus ; settlement of the difficulty ; 
agreement between the Jewish and 
Gentile apostles; Paul's return to 
Antioch ; his difference with Peter 
and Barnabas at Antioch, and tem- 
porary separation from the latter ... 50 
Paul's second missionary journey 
from Antioch to Asia Minor, Cili- 
cia, Lycaonia, Galatia, Troas, and 
Greece (Philippi, Thessalonica, Be- 
rsea, Athens, and Corinth). From 
this tour dates the Christianization 

of Europe 51 

Paul at Corinth (a year and a half). 
First and Second Epistles to the 

Thessalonians....i 52-53 

Paul's fourth journey to Jerusalem 
(spring) ; short stay at Antioch. His 

third missionary tour (autumn) 54 

Paul at Ephesus (three years) ; Epis- 
tle to the Galatians (56 or 57). Ex- 
cursion to Macedonia, Corinth, and 
Crete (not mentioned in the Acts) ; 
First Epistle to Timothy (?). Return 
to Ephesus. First Epistle to the 

Corinthians (spring, 57) 54-57 

Paul's departure from Ephesus (sum- 
mer) to Macedonia. Second Epistle 

to the Corinthians 57 

Paul's third sojourn at Corinth (three 

months). Epistle to the Romans... 57, 58 
Paul's fifth and last journey to Jeru- 
salem (spring), where he is arrested 

and sent to Csesarea 58 

Paul's captivity at Csesarea. Testi- 
mony before Fehx, Festus, and 
Agrippa (the Gospel of Luke and 
the Acts commenced at Csesarea, 

and concluded at Rome) 58-60 

Paul's voyage to Rome (autumn) ; 
shipwreck at Malta ; arrival at 
Rome (spring, 61) 60,61 



Paul's first captivity at Rome, Epis- 
tles to the Colossians, Ephesians, 
Philippians, Philemon 61-63 

Conflagration at Rome (July) ; Nero- 
nian persecution of the Christians ; 
martyrdom of Paul (?) 64 

Hypothesis of a second Roman cap- 
tivity and preceding missionary 
journeys to the East, and possibly 
to Spain. First Epistle to Timothy ; 
Titus (Hebrews?), Second Timothy, 63-67 

The epistles of Paul are 13, or, if we 
count the Hebrews, 14 in number. They 
are inspired tracts for the times, and for all 
times. They may be arranged : 

1. Chronologically: 

1 and 2 Thessalonians, written A. D. 52, 53, 
from Corinth. 

Galatians, written a. d. 56-57, from Ephe- 
sus. 

1 Corinthians, written a. d. 57, from Ephe- 
sus. 

2 Corinthians, written a. d. 57, from Mace- 
donia. 

Romans, written a. d. 58, from Corinth. 
Colossians, Ephesians, PhiUppians, and 
Philemon, written A. D. 61-63, from Rome. 
Hebrews, written A. D. 64 (?), from Italy. 

1 Timothy and Titus, written a. d. 65 or 
57 (?) *, from Macedonia. 

2 Timothy, written a. d. 67 or 64 (?) *, from 
Rome. 



* The time of the composition of the Pas- 
toral Epistles depends upon the question of 
the second Roman captivity. The Second 
Epi^le to Timothy was at all events the 
last, whether written in the first or second 
captivity. 

2. Topically : 

Romans and Galatians : doctrines of sin 

and grace. 
1 and 2 Corinthians : moral and practical 

questions. 
Colossians and Philippians : person of 

Christ. 
Ephesians : the Church of Christ. 
1 and 2 Thessalonians : the second advent. 

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus : church gov- 
ernment and pastoral care. 

Philemon : slavery. 

Hebrews : the eternal priesthood and sacri- 
fice of Christ. 

Pekah (pe'kah), open-eyed. 2 Kings 15 : 
25. The son of Remahah, a captain in Pe- 
kahiah's army who conspired against his 
master, slew him, and reigned over Sama- 
ria in his stead for 20 years (758-738 B. c). 
His conduct was evil ; he maintained the 
sinful worship set up by Jeroboam I. He was 
slain by conspirators headed by Hoshea, 
who afterwards obtained the crown. 2 
Kings 15:25-38; 16; 1-9; 2 Chron. 28:6; 
Isa. 7:1-16; 8:6. 

Pekahlali. Jehovah has opened his eyes. 
The son of Menahem, king of Israel. He 
succeeded his father and reigned wickedly 
two years (760-758 b. c). He was murdered 
in his palace by Pekah, one of his oflficers, 

2 Kings 15 : 22-26. 

173 



PELlCAK 



PEOPLE'S DICTiOKAky 



PETEE 



Pelican. Heb. the vomiter. A voracious 
water-bird, unclean bj' the Levitical law, 
Lev. 11 : 18, of singular construction and 
habits, resembling the goose, though nearly 
twice as large. Its bill is 15 inches long. 
The female has a large pouch or bag capa- 
ble of containing two or three gallons of 
water, and food enough for six common 
men. Out of this pouch she feeds herself 
and her young, and from this habit and 
the red nail at the end of her bill came the 
notion that she fed her offspring on her 
own blood. The pelican was formerly more 
abundant than now in the East. Having 
gorged itself with fish, this bird flies miles 
into the wilderness, where it sits in some 
lonely place " for hours, or even days, with 
its bill resting on its breast, a picture of 
melancholy." Ps. 102 : 6. The R. V. and 
the margin of the A. V. read "pelican" 
for " cormorant " in Isa, 34 : 11 : Zeph. 2 : 14. 

Peniel (pe-m'el),face of God. The name 
which Jacob gave to the place in which 
he had wrestled with God : " He called the 
name ol the place Peniel; (face of God), 
for . . I have seen God face to face." Gen. 
32 : 30. Called also Penuel. Gen. 32 : 31 ; 
Judg. 8 : 17 ; 1 Kings 12 : 25. Peniel lay 
somewhere on the Jabbok, now Zerka, a 
few miles north of the glen where the Jab- 
bok falls into the Jordan. 

Penny. Matt. 20:2; 22:19; Luke 20: 
24. This word in the English version is 
misleading at the present time. When the 
translation was first made the English 
penny was a silver coin. The Greek word 
IS denarion, the Roman denarius, which 
was a silver coin worth about 15 cents. The 
penny shown to Christ was a Roman dena- 
rius, bearing the hkeness and name of Ti- 
berius Csesar, Avho was emperor of Rome 
at that time. Agreeing " to pay the laborer 
a denarius a day " shows that 16 cents was 
then about the' value of a day's labor in 
Judea. 

Pentecost. Acts 2 : 1. From a Greek 
word signifj'ing fiftieth. The name in the 
New Testanaent for the second great festival 
of the Jews, called by them "the feast of 
weeks," or " the day of first-fruits." It was 
celebrated on the fiftieth day— hence the 
name — after the passover, reckoning from 
the second day of the passover — the 16th 
of Nisan — Lev." 23 : 11, 15, to the morrow 
after the end of the seventh week. Lev. 
23 • 15, 16 ; Deut. 16 : 9. It was originally a 
simple thanksgiAing for the harvest, which 
in Palestine fell in the weeks between the 
passover and the pentecost. The festival 
was kept only for one day, and the princi- 

{)al rite consisted in the offering of two 
oaves made of the finest flour of the last 
crop's wheat. In some branches of the 
Christian Church pentecost is celebrated 
seven weeks after Easter, in commemora- 
tion of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
on the disciples, as the birthday of the 
Christian Church. See Acts 2 : 1-14. 

Pergamos {per'ga-m6s. Rev. 1 : 11, A. 
v., but in R. V. Pergamum), heigM, eleva- 
tion. A city of Mysia, about three miles to 
the north of the fiver Caicus, and 20 miles 
fsaax its present mouth. The city was 

174 



noted for its vast Ubrary, containing 200,000 
volumes. Here were splendid temples of 
Zeus or Jupiter, Athene, Aptollo, and .ffiscu- 
lapius. One of " the seven churches of 
Asia " was in Pergamos. Rev. 1 : 11 ; 2 : 12- 
17. It is called "Satan's seat" by John, 
which some suppose to refer to the worship 
of ^Esculapius, from the serpent being his 
characteristic emblem. The modern name 
of the city is Bergama. 

Peor. Num. 23 : 28. See Pisgah. 

Perizzites (pSr'iz-zites), villagers. The 
Perizzites hved apparently in Adllages in 
the open country m the south part of Pal- 
estine, and were expelled during the con- 
quest. Gen. 13 : 7 ; 34 : 30 ; Josh. 17 : 15 ; i 
Judg. 3 : 5 ; 1 Kings 9 : 20 ; 2 Chron. 8:7; ' 
Ezra 9 : 1. 

Persia {per'sMah, or shah), Heb. Pharas, 
pure, or tigers f Ezek. 38 : 5. A country in 
Central Asia. The term is generally ap- 
pUed in Scripture to the Persian einpire, 
iDUt in Ezek. 38 : 5 it designates Persia prop- 
er. The Persian empire extended from the 
Indus on the east to Thrace on the west, 
and from the Black and Caspian Seas on 
the north to the Indian Ocean, the Per- 
sian Gulf, and the Red Sea on the south. 
It, at times, included Western Asia and 
portions of Europe and Africa. Persia 
proper was an unproductive country south 
of Media. The interior was a great plateau, 
having an average elevation of 4000 feet 
above the sea, broken by mountains 
and vallej-^ and interspersed with fruitful 
plains. The founder of the Persian dynasty 
was Achaemes, and it was tributary to the 
Medes until a revolt under Cjtus about 
B. c. 588, when it rapidly extended its sway 
over Asia Minor, and in B. c. 538 over Baby- 
lon, where the Persians came into contact 
with the captive Jews. Cyrus issued a decree 
permitting the Jewish captives to return to 
their own land. 2 Chron. 36 : 20-23 ; Ezra 
1:8. A later king, called Artaxerxes in 
Scripture, forbade the rebuilding of the 
temple, but Darius Hystaspes authorized 
the work to go on. Ezra 4 : 5-24 ; 6 : 7-12. 
Xerxes, who was probably the Ahasuerus 
of the book of Esther, succeeded him, and 
was defeated by the Greeks, assassinated, 
and succeeded "by his son Artaxerxes Lon- 
gimanus, who M^as friendly to the Jews. 
Ezra 7 : 11-28 ; Neh. 2 : 1-9. Only one of his 
successors is noticed in Scripture, Darius 
the Persian. Neh. 12 : 22. After lasting 
about 200 years the Persian empire was 
overthrown by Alexander the Great, B. c. 
330, and followed by the Macedonian, the 
third great world-empire. Dan. 8 : 3-7, 20. 

Peter (pe'ter), stone, or rock; Syriac Ce- 
phas; Greek Petros. One of the twelve 
apostles, one of the three favorite disciples, 
■with John and James. His original name 
was " Simon " or " Simeon." He was a son 
of Jonas (John, so read the best manu- 
scripts), a brother of Andrew, probably a 
native of Bethsaida in GaUlee. He was a 
fisherman and hved at Capernaum with 
his wife and mother-in-law, whom Christ 
healed of a fever. See John 1 : 42 ; 21 : 15 ; 
Matt. 16 : 18 ; Luke 6 : 3-10 ; Matt. 8 : 14, 15 ; 
Mark 1 : 29-31 ; Luke 4 : 38. Peter forsook 



PHARAOH 



OF TUB BIBLE. 



PHARISEES 



all to follow Christ. His new name " Peter " 
(" rock-man ") was given him when he was 
called to the apostleship. John 1 : 42. He 
made a remarkable confession of the divin- 
ity of our Lord. Matt. 16 : 18. The name 
"Peter" or "Cephas" was a prophecy of 
the prominent position which he, as the 
confessor of Christ, would occupy in the 
primitive age of the chm-ch. The church 
was built (not on Petros, but Petra— a rock), 
on his confession of the foundation, 
" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God." Matt. 16 : 16, 18, The keys of the 
kingdom of heaven, to bind, and to loose, 
on earth and in heaven, were given to the 
church. Matt. 18 : 17, 18 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 11, 13 ; 
2 Cor. 2 : 7, 10. Peter was not infallible, for 
Paul " withstood him to the face because 
he was to be blamed." Gal. 2 : 11. He laid 
the foundation of the church among the 
Jews on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, and, 
after a special vision and revelation, among 
the Gentiles also, in the conversion of Cor- 
nelius. Acts 10. He appears throughout in 
the Gospels and the first part of the Acts as 
the head of the twelve. He was the first to 
confess and the first to deny his Lord and 
Saviour, yet he repented bitterly, and had 
no rest and peace till the Lord forgave him. 
He had a great deal of genuine human 
nature, but divine grace did its full work, 
and overruled even his faults for his ad- 
vancement in humility and meekness. The 
labors of Peter are recorded in the Acts, 
chaps. 1 to 12 and chap, 15. He was the 
leading apostle from the day of Pentecost 
to the Council of Jerusalem, in a. d. 50. 
Aiter that time his laboi-s are involved in 
obscurity. According to the testimony of 
Christian antiquity, Peter suffered martyr- 
dom in Rome under Nero, but his residence 
in Rome is disputed, and the year of his 
martyrdom is uncertain. When Paul ar- 
rived at Rome, a. d. 61, and during his im- 
prisonment, A. D. 61-63, no mention is made 
of Peter. He is said to have been crucified, 
and thus he followed his Lord hterally in 
the mode of his death. Comp. John 21 : 18, 
19. Origen adds, however, that Peter, 
deeming himself unworthy to suflTer death 
in the same mamner as his Master, was at 
his own request crucified with his head 
downward. 

Epistles of Peter, The genuineness 
of 1 Peter has never been seriously ques- 
tioned. It was addressed to Christian 
churches in Asia Minor, and written prob- 
ably at Babylon on the Euphrates. 1 Pet. 
5 : 13. Some, however, interpret this of 
Rome, and others of a town in Egypt 
called Babylon, near Old Cairo. 2 Peter 
was less confidently ascribed to Peter by 
the early church than the first epistle. 
There is no sufficient ground, however, for 
doubting its canonical authority, or that 
Peter was its author. 2 Pet. 1 : 1, 18 ; 3 : 1. 
Compare also 1 Pet. 3 : 20 ; 2 Pet. 2:5. In 
m^any passages it resembles the Epistle of 
Jude. Both epistles attest the harmony be- 
tween the doctrines of Peter and Paul. 
*' The faith expounded by Paul kindles into 
fervent hope in the words of Peter, and ex- 
pands into sublime love in those of John." 



Pharaoh {fd'ro, or fd'ra-o). Gen. 12 : 15. 
The common title of the king of Egypt— also 
called Pharaoh-necho and Pharaoh-hophra. 
2 Kings 23 : 29 ; Jer. 44 : 30 ; 46 : 2. Ten Phara- 
ohs are mentioned in the Old Testament. 
1. The Pharaoh of the time of Abraham. 
Gen. 12 : 15. The date of Abraham's visit to 
Egypt is most probably fixed at about b. c. 
2080. 2. The Pharaoh of Joseph, Gen. 41, 
was the last, or the last but one, of the 
fifteenth dynasty ; probably identical with 
Apophis, who reigned at least 26 years, b. c. 
1876-1850, 3. The Pharaoh of the Oppres- 
sion — " the new king over Egypt who knew 
not Joseph," Ex. 1 : 8, and under whose 
reign Moses was born — probably Rameses 
II., the Sesostris of the Greeks, the master- 
builder of Egypt, whose statues and tem- 
ples in ruins are found all over the Nile 
valley from Zoan (Tanis) to Karnak. His 
mummied body was taken from the tomb in 
1881 and unwrapped in the Bulak museum. 
4. The Pharaoh of the Exodus, Ex. 5 : 1, be- 
fore whom Moses wrought his miracles, 
was Menephtha, son of Rameses II. On a 
monument of Tanis mention is made of the 
fact that he lost a son, and Dr. Brugsch con- 
nects this with the death of the first-born, 
the last of the plagues. 5. The Pharaoh 
whose daughter, Bithiah, was given in mar- 
riage to Mered, a descendant of Judah, 1 
Chron. 4 :18. 6. The Pharaoh who gave the 
sister of his queen in marriage to Hadad, 
an Edomite of royal blood, who escaped 
the massacre of Joab and fled to Egypt. 1 
Kings 11:18-20. 7. The Pharaoh whose 
daughter Solomon married and brought 
"into the city of David until he had made 
an end of building his own house, and the 
house of the Lord," 1 Kings 3 : 1, conse- 
quently before the eleventh year of his 
reign, in which vear the temple was fin- 
ished. 1 Kings 6 : 37, 38. This Pharaoh 
afterward made an expedition into Pales- 
tine, took Gezer, and gave it to his daughter, 
Solomon's wife. 1 Kings 9:16. 8. The 
Pharaoh to whom king Hezekiah was allied 
in his war with Sennacherib. 2 Kings 18 : 
21. 9. Pharaoh-nechoh, also called simply 
Necho, reigned from B. c. 610 to 594. He 
made an expedition against Assyria, but 
was encountered by Josiah, king of Judah, 
at Megiddo. 2 Chron. 35 : 20-24 ; 2 Bangs 23: 
29, 30. Necho's army was afterward de- 
feated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, 
and he lost all his Asiatic possessions. 2 
Kings 24 : 7. 10. Pharaoh-hophra, the Apri- 
es of secular history, was the second suc- 
cessor of Necho, and entered Palestine, 
probably in b. c. 590, in order to relieve Je- 
rusalem, which was besieged by Nebuchad- 
nezzar. Jer. 37 : 5-8 ; Ezek. 17 : 11-13 ; comp. 
2 Kings 25 : 1-4. The campaign was of no 
avail. Jerusalem fell, and Nebuchadnez- 
zar made a successful invasion into Egypt. 
Pharaoh-hophra was afterward deposed by 
his own subjects, and finally strangled. In 
their prophecies Jeremiah and *Ezekiel (see 
above) give a very striking picture of this 
king, his arrogance and conceit, which cor- 
responds closely with that given by Herod- 
otus. 

Pharisees (Jar'isees), a religious sect 

.175 



PHARPAR 



PEOPLE'S DICTION AH Y 



PHILISTIA 



among the Jews at the time of Christ. Matt. 
15:l-«. Their name is from the Hebrew 
word periJLshim, " separated." The chief 
sects among the Jews during Christ's minis- 
try were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and 
the Essenes. Christ denounced the Phari- 
sees in the strongest language ; see Matt, 
15 : 1-8 ; 23 : 13-25 ; Mark 7 : 5, 6 ; Luke 11 : 42- 
44. To understand the Pharisees is an aid 
toward understanding the spirit of pure 
Christianity. The principle of the Phari- 
sees, common to them with all orthodox 
modern Jews, is that by the side of the 
"written law there was an oral law to com- 
plete and to explain the written law, given 
to Moses on Mount Sinai and transmitted 
by him by word of mouth. They were par- 
ticular to avoid anything which the law de- 
clared unclean, but they forgot to acquire 
that cleanness which is the most important 
of all, and which consists in the piulty of 
the heart. Matt. 15 : 11. It would be a great 
mistake to suppose that the Pharisees were 
wealthy and luxurious, or that they had 
degenerated into the vices which were im- 
puted to some of the Roman popes and car- 
dinals during the 200 years preceding the 
Reformation. Josephus compared the Phar- 
isees to the sect of the Stoics. He says that 
they lived frugally, in no respect given to 
luxury. We are not to suppose that there 
were not many individuals among them 
who were upright and pure, for there were 
such men as Nicodemus, Gamaliel, Joseph 
of Arimathsea, and Paul. See Sadducees. 

Pharpar {far 'par), swtft. A river of 
Damascus — Abana and Pharpar — alluded 
to by Naaman. 2 Kings 5 : 12, See Abana. 

Plienice {fc-nl'se otfe'nice). 1. Another 
and more accurate form for Phoenicia. 
Acts 11 : 19 ; 15 : 3, A. V. See Phoenicia. 
2. A town and harbor, more properly Phoe- 
nix (from the Greek word for the palm 
tree which was indigenous to Crete). Acts 
27 : 12. The town was on the southwest 
coast of the island of Crete. 

Philadelphia {fWa-dil'fi-a), brotherly 
love. Rev. 3:7. A city on the borders of 
Lydia and Phrygia, about 25 miles south- 
east of Sardis. It was built by Attains 
Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, who died 
B. c. 138. Philadelphia is mentioned in the 
New Testament as the seat of one of the 
seven churches. Rev. 1 : 11 ; 3 : 7-13. The 
church at this place was highly com- 
mended, and it is noticeable that the city 
has survived all the vicissitudes of earth- 
quakes and wars until the present day. 

P hilemon (Jl-le'mon), Epistle to. 
Written by Paul from Rome, probably near 
the close of a. d. 62, It is cited by Tertul- 
lian, Origen, and Eusebius. Onesimus, a 
servant of Philemon, had fled to Rome, 
was there converted, serving Paul for a 
season, but was sent back to his former 
master by Paul, who wrote this epistle, 
chiefly to conciliate the feelings of Phile- 
mon toward his penitent servant, and now 
fellow-disciple. Philem. 1. 

Philip {fil'ip), Lover of a horse. 1. One 
of the apostles, a native of Bethsaida ; he 
had been a disciple of John the Baptist. 
John 1:43-48; 6:5-7; 12 :21,22; 14:8, 9; 

176 



Matt. 10 : 3 ; Mark 3 : 18 ; Luke 6 : 14. He 
was with the rest of the apostles and disci- 
ples who had assembled for prayer in the 
upper room in Jerusalem, after the ascen- 
sion of our Lord. Acts 1 : 13, 14. 2, One of 
the seven deacons of the church at Jeru- 
salem; also called "the Evangehst." Acts 
6:5; 21 : 8. He preached the gospel in Sa- 
maria with great success. Acts 8 : 5-13, 
He was directed of the Spirit to proceed 
toward Gaza, where he preached Christ to 
the treasurer of Candace, queen of Ethi- 
opia. After a short stay at Azotus, Philip 
preached the gospel from town to town till 
he came to Csesarea, where he probably set- 
tled. Acts 8 : 26-40. He had four daugh- 
ters who were endued with the gifts of 
prophecy. Acts 21 : 8, 9, 3. A tetrarch of 
Trachonitis, and Itursea. Luke 3 : 1. He 
was the son of Herod the Great, by his 
wife Cleopatra : and at his death his te- 
trarchy was annexed to Syria. Matt. 16 : 
13 ; Mark 8 : 27. 4. A son of Herod the 
Great by Mariamne the daughter of Simon 
the high priest. He was the first husband 
of Herodias, who was taken from him by 
his brother Herod Antipas. Matt. 14 : 3 ; 
Mark 6 : 17 ; Luke 3 : 19. 

Philippi (fi-llp'pl). A city of Macedo- 
nia. It was on the borders of Thrace. 33 
Roman miles northeast of AmphipoUs, and 
about ten miles from Neapolis its port, 
where Paul landed. It was built on the 
site of a village, called Krenides (also 
Datos), by PhiUp king of Macedon, and 
made a strong military station. From the 
New Testament history Philippi appears to 
have been the first city in Europe which 
heard the gospel. The account of Paul's 
visit and of his founding of a church there 
is given in Acts 16. 

Pliilippians (fi-Up'pi-anz), Epistle to 
the. This epistle, written by Paul while a 
prisoner at Rome, a. d. 62 or 63, is remark- 
able for its Christian joy and for the love 
the apostle shows for the PhiUppian con- 
verts. Phil. 4 : 1, The Philippian Chris- 
tians are reminded, as behevers in Christ, 
of their dignity and privileges, see Acts 
16 : 12-40, and are exhorted to live worthily 
of their heavenly citizenship. Phil. 3 : 20 ; 
1 : 27, R. V. 

Philistia {fi-lls'tt-ah or -Vtst'yah), land of 
sojourners. In Ps. 60 : 8 ; 87 : 4 ; 108 : 9, the 
only places where the word "Philistia" 
occurs, is the same Hebrew Avord elsewhere 
translated "Palestine." Palestine origin- 
ally meant only the district inhabited by 
Philistines. In Ps. 83 : 7 A. V. the word 
is rendered "Philistines." Josephus calls 
these people "Palestines." Phihstia, or the 
"land of the Philistines," included the 
coast plain on the southwest of Palestine, 
from Joppa on the north to the valley of 
Gerar on the south, a distance of about 
40 miles. Its breadth at the northern end 
was ten miles, and at the southern about 
20. It appears to have extended as far in- 
land as Beersheba. Gen. 21 : 33, 34 ; 26 : 1, 
14-18 ; Ex. 23 : 31 ; Josh. 13 : 2, 3. At the 
Exodus the Philistines seem to have been 
such a mighty and warlike people, that the 
IsraeUtes deemed it prudent to avoid their 



PHINEHAS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



PIT 



land, lest "the people repent when they 
see war, and they return to Egypt." Ex. 
13:17, Thenceforward, during the whole 
period of Old Testament history, the Israel- 
ites and the Philistines were frequently 
brought in contact. The Phihstines are 
mentioned 310 times in the Old Testament, 
from Genesis to Zechariah. They were a 
commercial as well as a warlike people. 
Their chief god was Dagon, Judg. 16 : 23 ; 1 
Sam. 5 : 1-5, who, as well as the goddess 
Derketo, had the form of a fish. 

Phinehas (ftn'e-has), brazen mouth. 1. 
A son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, 
Ex. 6 : 25 ; 1 Chron. 6 : 4, 50, was high priest 
of the Jews for nearly 20 years. His zeal 
and promptitude in punishing the sin of 
Zimn was rewarded by the promise to his 
family of perpetual succession in the Jew- 
ish priesthood. Num. 25 : &-15. This prom- 
ise was fulfilled ; for except the interval 
from Eli to Zadok, the priesthood contin- 
ued in the family of Phinehas until the 
destruction of the temple and the Babylo- 
nian captivity. 2. A son of EU, and noted 
for his wickedness. 1 Sam. 1:3; 2 : 34 ; 4 : 
4, 11, 17, 19 ; 14 : 3. 3. A Levite in the time 
of Ezra. Ezra 8 : 33. 

Phoenicia {fe-nlshfl-dh). A country north 
of Palestine, and on the Mediterranean 
Sea. Its extreme length was about 120 
miles, and its width about 20 miles. Its chief 
cities were Tyre and Sidon. Phoenicia was 
Included in the land of promise, but it was 
not occupied by the Israelites. Josh. 13 : 4- 
6 ; Judg. 1 : 31, 32. David and Solomon 
traded with its king, receiving timber from 
its territory, and employing its sailors, la- 
borers, and skilled workmen. 2 Sam. 5: 
11 ; 1 Kings 5 : 9, 17, 18. Ahab married a 
princess of this country, and there EUjah 
found a refuge. 1 Kings 16 : 31 ; 17 : 9 ; 
Luke 4 : 26. Jesus also visited this country 
—the only time he passed the borders of 
Palestine. Matt. 15 : 21 ; Mark 7 : 26. Paul 
visited Tyre, Sidon, and Ptolemais. Acts 
21 : 2, 3, 7 ; 27 : 3. The name " Phoenicia " 
does not occur in the Old Testament; in 
the New Testament it appears once as 
Phoenicia and twice as Phenice. Acts 21 : 
2 ; 11 : 19 ; 15 : 3, A. V. The R. V. reads Phoe- 
nicia in all these places. There are nu- 
merous prophecies in the Old Testament, 
however, concerning the overthrow of 
cities in this country, which have been sig- 
nally fulfilled. See Tyre and Sidon. 

Phrygia {fryfi-ah), dry, barren. A dis- 
trict of Asia Minor whose hmits varied at 
different times. Within its limits were the 
cities of Laodicaea, Hierapolis, Colossae, and 
Antioch of Pisidia. People from Phrygia 
were present at Pentecost, Acts 2 : 10 ; and 
the apostle Paul twice traversed the coun- 
try. Acts 16 : 6 ; 18 : 23. Some converts 
were made, and we find Paul " strengthen- 
ing all the disciples." Acts 18: 23. At the 
Council of Nice, a. d. 325, the Phrygian 
churches were represented by eight bish- 
ops, and still more attended the Council of 
Constantinople, A. D. 381. 

Phut {phut), afflicted, or a bow ? Gen. 10 : 
6. More properly Put, as in R. V., and 1 
■Ctiron. 1 : 8, A.V. Phut was a son of Ham, 



and progenitor of an African people of the 
same name, though sometimes the name is 
rendered " Libya " or " Libyans." Jer. 46 : 
9 ; Ezek. 27 : 10 ; 30 : 5 ; 38 : 5 ; Nah. 3:9, A. 
V. But the R. V. reads " Put " in all cases. 
These people probably occupied Libya, in 
north Africa, near the Mediteixanean coast. 
This is the land of the Moors in modern 
times. 

Phylactery. Matt. 23:5. A strip of 
parchment on which some verses of Scrip- 
ture were written, e. g., Ex. 13 : 2-10, 11-16 ; 
Deut. 6 : 4-9 ; II : 13-21. Such strips were en- 
closed in small leathern boxes, and during 
the time of prayer worn by men on the fore- 
head between the eyebrows, or on the left 
arm near the region of the heart, being at- 
tached by leathern straps. They were sup- 
posed to be preservatives against the power 
of demons ; hence the name phylacteries, 
i. e., safeguards. The practice was founded 
upon a literal interpretation of Ex. 13 : 9, 
16 ; Deut. 6:8; 11 : 18, and is continued to 
the present day. 

Pilate (pl'late), Pontius Pilatus, the sixth 
Roman procurator of Judea, succeeding Va- 
lerius Gratus. Under his rule John the Bap- 
tist commenced his ministry, Luke 3 : 1, 
and our Lord was put to death. Luke 23 : 
6, 13 ; John 19 : 6, 19. Pilate entered on his 
oflBce at the end of 25 or beginning of 26 
A. D., in the reign of Tiberius. He held it 
about ten years, till a short time before that 
emperor's death. He was unscrupulous in 
the exercise of his authority. See Luke 13 : 
1. Malicious, artful, yet not free from super- 
stition, he was not destitute of some sense 
of justice, as his weak efforts to secure the 
acquittal of Jesus show. Vitellius, president 
or prefect of Syria, ordered Pilate to Rome 
to answer for his conduct before the em- 
peror. His deposition must have occurred in 
36 A. D., most probably prior to the passover. 
Before he arrived in Rome, however, Ti- 
berius was dead, March 16, 37 A. d. Pilate 
is said to have been banished by Cahgula 
to Vienne in Gaul. According to Eusebius, 
he put an end to his own life. 

Pisgah {plz'gah), hill, or tJie height. The 
summit from which Moses, before his death, 
gained his view of the promised land . Peor 
was a peak near it. It was in Moab, one of 
the mountains of Abarim, and the top of 
Nebo. It was in the territory afterward as- 
signed to Reuben, and thus was north of 
the Arnon. Num. 21 : 20 ; Deut. 3 : 27 ; 4 : 
49 ; 34 : 1 ; Josh. 13 :20. Pisgah had culti- 
vated land. Balak brought Balaam " into 
the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah," 
and there " built seven altars." Num. 23 : 14. 

Pisidia (pl-sld'i-ah), pitchy. A district of 
Asia Minor. The ranges of the Taurus 
mountains extended through it. Notorious 
robbers were in this region, and here Paul 
may have been "m perils of waters, in per- 
ils of robbers." 2 Cor. 11 :26. Paul twice 
visited Pisidia, passing directly north from 
Perga to Antioch, Acts 13 : 14, and again re- 
turning through Pisidia to Pamphyha. 
Acts 14 : 21-24. 

Pit. This term is used to render several 
Hebrew words. It denotes a cistern or res- 
ervoir. It was into such a dry cistern that 

177 



PITHOM 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



PRAYER 



Joseph was cast. In old decayed cisterns 
the water leaks out or becomes sUmy, and 
such a pit becomes the image of dreariness 
and misery. Jer. 2 : 13 ; Ps. 40 : 2 ; Zech. 9 : 
U. 

Pithom {pV thorn), house or temple, of 
Turn, who was the sun-god of HeUopoUs, a 
"treasure city," or depot of provisions, 
built by the Israelites in Goshen. Ex. 1 : 11. 
M. Naville has identified Pithom with Pa- 
Tiun, "setting sun," and with Tel el-Mas- 
hUta, where he found remarkable ruins, 
brick grain -chambers, and similar evi- 
dences of a " store city." 

Plagues of Egypt. The ten plagues 
narrated in Ex. 7-12 stand in close connec- 
tion with the natural phenomena of Egypt, 
still they maintain their character as mira- 
cles. They are introduced and performed 
by Moses fthey cease at his request. Ex. 8 : 
6, etc, These ten plagues were doubtless 
spread over a long time, and probably they 
followed, as much as possible, the order of 
the seasons; for some of them were not 
only distinctively Egyptian, but really only 
an aggravation of yearly maladies. Canon 
Cook, in the Bible Commentary, distributes 
them thus : The first was toward the end of 
June, when the Nile begins to overflow. 
The second came three months later, at the 
time of the greatest inundation, in Septem- 
ber, and was an attack on a native worship. 
The third was early in October, and the 
fourth after the subsidence of the inunda- 
tion. The fifth was in December or Janu- 
ary' : the sixth, shortly after; the seventh, 
at the time when hailstorms occur now in 
Egypt, from the middle of Februarj'^ to 
early March. The eighth was when the 
leaves are green, toward the middle of 
March. The ninth was peeuharly Egyp- 
tian, and was the immediate precursor 
of the tenth. During this time the Israel- 
ites had frequent opportunities to gather, 
and thus were prepared for their exodus. 

Plough. Tne plough of the east was 
very hght and simple, perhaps merely a 
forked stick, having a wOoden share, shod 
with one of those triangular or heart- 
shaped points of iron which the inhabi- 
tants of the Palestine towns still use. 1 
Sam. 13 : 20. A single upright held by one 
hand, Luke 9 : 62, while the goad was car- 
ried in the other, guided this primitive in- 
strument, which turned the earth equally 
on both sides. The slight scratching which 
constitutes eastern ploughing never re- 
quires more" than one pair of cattle, and 
often a single cow or ass or camel was 
doubtless used, as now. 

Poetry, Hebrew. Poetry was the delight 
of orientals. About one-third of the Old 
Testament is poetry, the oldest, the purest, 
and the most subUme in t he world. Strictly 
there is neither epic nor dramatic poetry 
in Hebrew. The reason is obvious. Epic 
poetry springs from an effort to glorify hu- 
man greatness— the heroic in man; the 
Hebrew was taught to glorify God. Hebrew 
poetry is almost wholly lyric and didactic, 
and some add also gnoniic. There are no 
lyrics in the world comparable with the 
Psalms of David, no gnomic poetry equal 

178 



to the Proverbs, and no didactic poem so 
perfect in form, so profound and majestic in 
thought or so exalted and spiritual in con- 
ception as the book of Job. Rhyme and 
metre, common in modern poetry, are sel- 
dom found in Hebrew. Hebrew poetry 
consists chiefly of parallehsms and a cer- 
tain swing and balance in the sentences 
which give an indescribable charm to their 
poetic compositions. The parallelisms in 
Hebrew have been roughly divided into 
three kinds: 1, Synonymous, that is, where 
each hne of the distich or tristich has the 
same thought, but in varied expression; 
2, Antithetic, where the thought of the 
second member of the parallehsm is in con- 
trast with that of the first ; and 3, Syn- 
thetic, where the thought is cumulative 
upon the same topic. There are five so- 
called iwetical books in the Old Testament : 
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and 
Song of Solomon. But beside these, large 
portions of other books are in poetic lan- 
guage. The prophetical books except Dan- 
iel are largely in poetry. See Rice: "Our 
Sixty-six Sacred Books." 

Pomegranate (p«7n-firran'nafe). The 
pomegranate has been cultivated from early 
times in Syria, Num. 13 : 23 ; Dent. 8 : 8, and 
the warmer regions of the east. It rarely 
exceeds ten feet in height, and has small 
lance-shaped, glossy leaves, of a reddish- 
green when young, but becoming pea-green 
and remaining alive through the winter. 
The flowers are of a brilhant scarlet or or- 
ange, and in August or September the fruit 
ripens. This is of the size of an orange, 
flattened at the ends hke an apple, is of a 
beautiful brown-red color. Song of Sol. 4:3; 
6 : 7, has a hard rind and is filled with pulp 
of a highly grateful flavor. The abundant 
juice was made into wine, Song of Sol. 8 : 
2, and used for a coohng drink. Some cul- 
tivated trees bear sweet and some sour 
fruit, while the wild pomegranates yield 
only a small and worthless apple. 

Poutus (pon'tus). A Roman province in 
the north of Asia Minor, along the coast 
of the Euxine Sea (Pontus), from which 
circumstance the name was derived. It is 
three times mentioned in the New Testa- 
ment, Acts 2:9; 18 : 2 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 1. There 
were many Jewish residents in the district. 

Potiphar (pdt'i-far), Potiphar, with 
whom the historj' of Joseph is connected, 
is described as " an officer of Pharaoh, chief 
of the executioners, an Eg^^ptian." Gen. 39 : 
1 : comp. 37 : 36. He appears to have been 
a wealthy man. Gen. 39 : 4-6. The view 
we have of Potiphar's household is exactly 
in accordance with the representations on 
the monuments. When Joseph was ac- 
cused, his master contented himself with 
casting him into prison. Gen. 39 : 19, 20. 
After this we hear no more of Potiphar. 

Pottage. Gen. 25 : 29. See lientiles. 

Potter, Jer. 18 : 2 : Lam. 4 : 2, and i)ot- 
tery are frequently alluded to in Scripture, 
showing that the art was known at an early 
period. 

Prayer. All the noted saints of Scrip- 
ture were mighty in prayer ; but there is no 
mention of special prayer before the flood. 



PREVENT 



OF THE BIBLE. 



PROPHECY 



See Gen. 20 : 17 ; S2 : 26 : Num. 11 : 2. For list 
of special prayers see "Index to the Bible." 

Prevent, and Prevented. Job 3 : 12 ; 
41:11; Ps. 59:10; 79:8; 88:13; 119:148; 
Matt. 17 : 25. These words in the A. V. 
never mean, as at present, "to hinder," 
but "to go before," "to anticipate." 1 
Thess. 4:15. 

Priest. In the sacred Scriptures priest 
denotes one who offers sacrifice. In patri- 
archal times the fathers were the priests of 
their own families, though perhaps a more 
general priestly office existed, such as that 
exercised by Melchizedek. The patriarchs 
—Noah, Abraham, and others — officiated 
as priests of their households. Gen. 8 : 20 ; 
12 : 8. The male descendants of Aaron 
were priests by birthright, and the first- 
born, in regular succession, was entitled to 
the office of high priest. Certain blem- 
ishes, however, specified in Lev. 21 : 16-24, 
disquaUfied a man, not for the order, but 
for performing the functions of the office. 
The number of priests was at first very 
small. Josh. 3:6; 6:4; but in the time of 
David it had greatly increased ; 3700 priests 
joined him at Hebron. 1 Chron. 12 : 27. 
He divided them into 24 courses— 16 of the 
family of Eleazar, and eight of the family 
©f Ithamar ; and, as these courses officiated 
in regular succession, changing every Sab- 
bath. 2 Chron. 23 : 8, each course would be 
in attendance at the sanctuary at least tvnce 
a year. During the period of the captivity 
tins division into courses seems to have 
fallen into some confusion. Among the 
4289 priests who accompanied Zerubbabel, 
only four courses were represented, Ezra 2 : 
36-39 ; Neh, 7 : 39-42, and courses are after- 
ward mentioned which cannot be identi- 
fied with any of the original ones. The 
duty of the priests was to prepare and ofiter 
the daily, weekly, and monthly sacrifices. 
In war they sounded the holy trumpets and 
carried the ark of the covenant. In peace 
they ministered as judges and expounded 
the law to the i)eople. It appears, however, 
from 2 Chron. 17 : 7-10 ; 19 : 8-10 ; Ezek. 44 : 
24, etc., that the priests often neglected the 
judicial and teaching functions of their 
office. The consecration of a priest took 
place with great solemnity. The ceremo- 
nies, which were minutely prescribed by 
Moses, Ex. 29 : 1-37 ; Lev. chaps. 8, 9, lasted 
for seven days, and consisted in. sacrifices, 
washings, the putting on of the holy gar- 
ments, the sprinkhng of blood, and anoint- 
ing with oil. The consecration of the high 
pnest was distinguished by pouring the 
sacred oil upon his head, Ex. 29 : 7 ; 30 : 22- 
33 ; Lev. 8 : 12 ; 21 : 10, 12 ; Ps. 133 : 2, in ad- 
dition to the washing and the sprinkhng 
with oil, etc., which he shared with all 
priests, Ex. 29 : 4, 20, 21 ; Lev. 8 : 6, 23, 24, 
30. So Christ, our great High Priest, was 
anointed with the Holy Spirit. Dan. 9 : 24 ; 
Acts 10 : 38 ; John 3 : 34. PecuUar garments 
were put upon the high priest, Ex. 29 : 5, 6, 
29, 30 : Lev. 8 : 7-9, and sacrifices were of- 
fered seven days. Ex. 29 : 1-37 ; Lev. 8 : 
14-36. The high priest's sacred garments, 
besides the drawers, linen tunic, and girdle 
pf other priests, were four, Ex. 28 : 4, 39- 



43 ; Lev. 8 : 7-9 : the robe of the ephod, 
Ex. 28 : 31-36 ; the ephod, with its "curious 
girdle," Ex. 28 : 6-12 ; the breast-plate, with 
the Uritn and Thummim, vs. 15-30; and 
the mitre, vs. 36, 39. See the respective 
titles. These garments were worn only 
when the high priest was ministering in 
the sanctuary. Ezek. 42 : 14 ; 44 : 17-19 ; 
Acts 23 : 5. On the day of atonement his 
dress was of plain white Unen. Lev. 16 : 
4, 23, 24. The high priest was to enter the 
Holy of Holies once a year on the day of 
atonement, to make expiation for the sins 
of the nation. Lev. 16. The high priest 
was president of the Sanhedrin in our 
Lord's time. Matt. 26 : 62. The office of the 
priesthood was aboUshed when Christ died. 
There were to be no more ofierings for sin. 
"Christ was once ofiered to bear the sins 
of many." Heb. 9 : 28. " We are sanctified 
through the offering of. . Jesus Christ once." 
Heb. 10 : 10. " By one offering he hath per- 
fected forever them that are sanctified." 
Heb. 10 : 14. The words priest and priest- 
hood do not occur in the New Testament 
in connection with any order in the 
church. The only mention of them is, 
Christ, as our Priest, and all believers, as 
priests, and a priesthood. 1 Pet. 2 : 5, 9 ; 
Rev. 1 : 6 ; 5 : 10 ; 20 : 6. 
Prophecy. Prophecy is not only the 

Eedicting of future events : it included the 
rger office of receiving and communicat- 
ing the will and purposes of God. So that 
we find in Scripture prophecy instructions, 
warnings, rebukes, as largely as predictions 
of things to come. And men are termed 
prophets, Abraham for example. Gen. 20 : 
7, of whom it is nowhere recorded that they 
uttered a single prophecy in the sense of 
foretelhng future events. Christ, moreover, 
in whom the promise of Deut. 18 : 15-19 was 
to have its ultimate and complete fulfil- 
ment, and who was to be the great prophet 
of the church, performed that office, not so 
much by many predictions as by teaching 
all that it was needful the world should 
know. The way, too, in which prophecy 
is spoken of in the apostoUc writings goes 
to estabhsh the same view. It is described 
as touching the heart and conscience, con- 
victing, instructing, edifying, comforting. 
1 Cor. 14 : 1, 3, 24, 25. The heathen had 
httle conception of prophecy in this its 
largest and most excellent sense: they 
deemed it but an inexplicable knowledge 
of futurity. What, then, are the charac- 
teristics of the 16 prophets thus called and 
commissioned and intrusted with the mes- 
sages of God to his people? 1. They were 
the national poets of Judea. 2. They were 
annahsts and historians. A great portion 
of the prophecies of Isaiah, of Jeremiah, 
of Daniel, of Jonah, of Haggai, is direct or * 
indirect history. 3. They were preachers 
of morals and of spiritual religion. The 
system of morals put forward by the proph- 
ets, though not higher or purer than that 
of the law, is more plainly declared, and 
with greater, because now more needed, 
vehemence of diction. 4. But the proph- 
ets were something more than national 
poets and anna^Usts, preachers of patriot- 

m 



PROPITIATION 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY PSALMS, THE BOOK OF 



ism, moral teachers, exponents of the law, 
I)a&tors, and politicians. Their most essen- 
tial characteristic is that they were instru- 
ments of revealing God's will to man, as 
in other ways, so specially by predicting 
future events, and, in particular, by fore- 
telling the incarnation of the Lord Jesus 
Christ and the redemption effected by him. 
We have a series of prophecies which are 
so apphcable to the person and earthly life 
of Jesus Christ as to be thereby shown to 
have been designed to apply to him. And 
if they were designed to apply to him, pro- 
phetical prediction is proved. The weight 
of prophecy as an evidence of the truth of 
the religion of the Bible can hardly be 
overestimated. It stands alone. No other 
claim to supernatural foreknowledge can 
be put in comparison with it. And no 
petty objection to this or that detail, no 
fancied discovery that here or there fuWl- 
ment has not answered to prediction, can 
be admitted to shake such evidence of such 
a comprehensive character. The supposed 
chronological arrangement of the prophe- 
cies is as follows : g ^ 

Jonah 856-784 

Amos 810-785 

Hosea 810-725 

Isaiah 810-698 

Joel 810-660 

Micah 758-699 

Nahum 720-698 

Zephaniah 640-609 

Jeremiah 628-586 

Habakkuk 612-598 

Daniel 606-534 

Obadiah 588-583 

Ezekiel 595-536 

Haggai 520-518 

Zechariah 520-518 

Malachi 436-420 

Propitiation. A reconciliation. Thus, 
Christ is the "propitiation for our sins." 
Rom. 3 : 25 ; 1 John 2 : 2 ; 4 : 10. He recon- 
ciles us to God, not God to.us. The same 
Greek word is used by the Septuagint to 
denote " sin-offering," Ezek. 44 : 27 and 45 : 
19; "atonement," Num. 5:8; the "mercy- 
seat," Heb. 9:5; and the covering of the 
ark of the covenant. Lev. 16 : 14. 

Proselyte, a stranger, sojourner. In the 
later Jewish sense this term designates a 
convert from Paganism to Judaism. Matt. 
23 : 15 ; Acts 2 : 11 ; 6:5; 13 : 43. The Rab- 
bins distinguish two kinds of proselytes. 
1. Perfect proselytes, who, submitting to 
circumcision, embraced the Jewish rehgion 
in its full extent, and enjoyed all the rights 
and privileges of Jewish citizenship. Ex. 
12 : 48 ; 20 : 10 ; Josephus Ant. xx. 2. 4. 2. 
Proselytes of the gate, i. e., foreigners, 
dwelhng among the Jews, who, without 
being circumcised, conformed to certain 
Jewish laws and customs. Proselytes were 
found in great numbers, not only in Judea, 
but in all the principal cities of the empire. 
Acts 13:43; 16:14; 17:4,17; 18:7. 

Proverbs, Book of. This is a collec- 
tion of wise maxims woven into a didactic 
poem, and making up a popular system of 
ethics. They are a guide of practical wisdom, 

180 



the moral philosophy of the Hebrews. We 
may divide the book of Proverbs into four 
parts. 1. Prov. 1-9, a discourse extolling 
true wisdom, and specially urging the young 
to secure so excellent a possession. To this 
we find prefixed a title and introduction, 1: 
1-6, intended possibly to apply to the whole 
book. 2. A collection of maxims generally 
unconnected, inculcating moral precepts 
which respect both man's duty towards 
God and his behavior to his fellow-crea- 
tures. 10 : 1-22 : 16. 3. A more connected 
address, with various admonitions, and a 
charge to listen to the words of the wise. 22 : 
17-24 : 34. 4. An appendix, chai)s. 25-31, 
comprising (1) a collection of Solomon's 
proverbs which Hezekiah's servants copied 
out, chaps. 25-29 ; many of those which 
are comprised in the second part are here 
repeated ; and (2) chaps. 30, 31, the words of 
Agur, etc. The book of Proverbs is fre- 
quently cited or alluded to in the New Tes- 
tament. It is, indeed, a treasure-house of 
ethical wisdom, filled with choice senten- 
tious aphorisms, far excelling those of all 
secular and iminspired sages, and inculcat- 
ing all moral duties. 

Psalms, the Book of. The " praise " or 
hjTun-book of Jew and Christian for thou- 
sands of years. The following description 
of the book is given in Rice's Our Sixty-six 
Sacred Books : The book of Psalms in the 
Hebrew Bible was the first of the third 
di\ision called K'thubun, or "Writings." 
The Psalms, Proverbs, and Job were regard- 
ed as pre-eminently poetical books, and the 
Massoretes distinguished them by a peculiar 
accentuation. The Psalms were called 
"Sepher T'helhm," or " Book of Praises." 
The Greeks called it "Psalmos," from 
which the Enghsh "Psalms" is derived. 
The Psalms counted one book in the A. V., 
in the Hebrew Bible are divided into five 
collections, rather inaptly termed " books" 
in the Revised English Version. The end 
of each of the first four " books " is indicated 
by a doxology. The books are : 1. Ps. 1^1 ; 
2." Ps. 42-72 ; '3. Ps. 73-89 ; 4. Ps. 90-106 ; 5. 
Ps. 107-150. The topics of the Psalms have 
been compared to an oratorio in five parts : 
1. Decline of man ; 2. Revival ; 3. Plaintive 
complaint; 4. Response to the complaint; 
5. Final thanksgiving and triumph. This 
fivefold division of the Psalms is verj^ an- 
cient, but when or by whom it was made 
is uncertain. Some ascribe it to Nehemiah 
or his time ; it certainly is two or three cen- 
turies older than the Christian era. The 
diAision appears in the Septuagint. Why it 
was made is not clear. Some conjecture 
that it was in accord with the supposed 
chronological order of the Psalms, or was 
an arrangement according to authors, top- 
ics, or for liturgical use. The collection 
could not have been completed before the 
time of Ezra. About fifty Psalms are quoted 
in the New Testament. The titles or in- 
scriptions of the Psalms are not by the orig- 
inal authors, but belong to an early age. 
They are attached to 101 Psalms. The 49 
not having titles, the Talmud calls " Orphan 
Psalms." According to these titles, 73 
Psalms are ascribed to David, 12 to Asaph, 



PUBLICAN 



OF THE BIBLE. 



QUICKSANDS, THE 



one of David's singers, 12 to the sous of 
Korah, a priestly family of singers of 
David's time, 2 (72d and 127th) to Solomon, 
1 (90th) to Moses, and 1 (89th) to Ethan. 
The other 49 are anonymous. But the Sep- 
tuagint assigns 85 Psalms to David, the 127th 
to Jeremiah, the 146th to Haggai, and the 
147th to Zeehariah. The JNew Testament 
also cites Psalms 2 and 95 as if David Avere 
the author. It is worthy of note that the 
great Hallel songs, Ps. 115-118, and the fa- 
mous alphabetic hymn,the 119th, are among 
the anonymous songs. The most ancient 
classification, aside from the division into 
five collections, is found in the titles. The 
meaning of these is obscure. Some are 
termed Shir, a solo for the voice ; Mizmor, 
song of praise accompanied with an instru- 
ment ; MaschU, ode or didactic song ; 3£ich- 
tam, a catch-word poem (DeUtzsch) ; Shig- 
gaion., an excited ode ; TephUlah, a prayer- 
song; Shir jedidoth, a song of loves; Shir 
hamma'aloth, a song of ascent or pilgrim 
songs; Kinah, dirge or elegy. Modern 
groups are based upon the contents, as 
seven (some say eight) penitential (6th, 
25th, 32d [38th], 51st, 102d, 130th, 143d), 
seven imprecatory psalms (35th, 52d, 58th, 
59th, 69th, 109th, 137th), pilgrim songs, 
psalms of thanksgiving, of adoration, of 
faith and hope, Messianic psalms, and his- 
toric psalms. Some psabns have parallel- 
isms or longer stanzas, each beg[inning 
with an initial letter corresponding to 
the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew al- 
phabet. There are seven of these alpha- 
betic psalms and five other alphabetic 
poems in the Old Testament. Some psalms 
are choral, as 24th, 115th, 135th ; some gra- 
dational, as 121st, 124th. Of the psalms as- 
cribed to David, several have Aramaic 
forms, but according to the latest linguistic 
researches these forms may betray an earUer 
rather than a later author. The psalms have 
suggested many of the noblest Christian 
hymns. 

Publican, a collector of Roman tribute. 
Matt. 18 : 17. The principal farmers of this 
revenue were men of great credit and in- 
fluence, but the under-farmers, or common 
pubUcans, were remarkable for their rapa- 
city and extortion, and were accounted as 
oppressive thieves and pickpockets. Hence 
the Jews classed them with sinners, and 
would not allow them to enter the temple 
or the synagogues, to partake of the public 
prayers or ofltices of judicature, or to give 
testimony in a court of justice. 

Pul iijul), lord? The first king of As- 
syria who invaded Canaan, and by a pres- 
ent of 1000 talents of silver, equivalent to 
nearly ^2,000,000 in our day, was prevailed 
on by Menahem to withdraw his troops 
and recognize the title of that wicked usur- 
per. 2 Kings 15: 19. 

Pulse, seed. Our English word means 
peas, beans, lentiles, and the produce of 
similar podded plants, but in Dan. 1 : 12, 16 
the Hebrew word probably denotes vegeta- 
ble food in general, and in 2 Sam. 17 : 28 
parched i)eas, which are still a favorite 
food in the east. 

, Purple. Ex. 25 : 4. The purple dye so 
12 



famous among the orientals of ancient 
days was produced from a species of shell- 
fish pecuhar to the Mediterranean Sea. As 
each fish yielded but a few drops of color- 
ing matter, the choicest purple bore a very 
high price. Purple robes were worn by the 
kings and first magistrates of ancient na- 
tions. Esth. 8 : 15, Comp. Luke 16 : 19. 

Purse. A fold in the girdle, such as is 
often found at the present day in eastern, 
countries. But Hebrews also had a bag 
which was used to hold money. The first 
fold in a girdle had an opening, closed with 
a leathern strap, where the money was car- 
ried. Matt. 10 : 9 ; Mark 6 : 8. 

Puteoli (pu-te'o-li). The principal port 
of southern Italy, in the most sheltered 
part of the bay of Naples. It was the great 
emporium for the Alexandrian wheat-ships. 
Seneca gives an interesting account of the 
arrival of a fleet of these. All other vessels 
when they entered the bay were obUged to 
strike their topsails. These, therefore, could 
be distinguished in a crowd of ships as soon 
as they hove in sight. Paul was permitted 
to tarry seven days at Puteoli on his way 
from Malta to Rome. Acts 28 : 13, 14. 

Pygarg. Deut. 14 : 5, A, V. Probably 
the antelope known as the addax. 

Q 

Quails. Ex. 16 : 13 ; Num. 11 : 31, 32 ; Ps. 

105 : 40. The great quantity of quails taken 
by the Israelites has its parallel in mod- 
ern times. Pliny states that they some- 
times ahght on vessels in the Mediterranean 
and sink them. Colonel Sykes states that 
160,000 quails have been netted in one sea- 
son on the island of Capri. The Israehtes 
would have had httle difficulty in capturing 
large quantities of these birds, as they are 
known to arrive at places sometimes so 
completely exhausted by their flight as to 
be readily taken, not in nets only, but by 
the hand. Yet the feeding of the Israelites 
for a month was a miracle. 

Quaternion. A body of four. Acts 12 : 
4-10. Four soldiers were appointed to keep 
guard during each of the four watches of 
the night. There were therefore sixteen 
in all. Of each quaternion probably two 
were in the prison, Peter being chained to 
them, and the other two were sentinels be- 
fore the gate — the first and second guard. 

Queen. This title in the A. V, repre- 
sents three Hebrew words. It is applied to 
a ruling queen, as the queen of Sheba, 1 
Kings 10 : 1 ; and to Athaliah, 2 Kings 11 ; to 
the wives of the king, Esth. 1 : 9 ; 7 : 1 ; and 
to the queen-mother, as Bathsheba, Maa- 
chah, 1 Kings 2 : 19 ; 15 : 13 ; and to Jeze- 
bel, 2 Kings 10 : 13. 

Queen of heaven, Jer. 7 : 18 ; 44 : 17, 18, 
19, 25, is the moon, worshipped as Ashta- 
roth or Astarte, to whom the Hebrew women 
offered cakes in the streets of Jerusalem. 

Quicksands, The, More properly the 
Syrtis, as in the R. V., Acts 27 : 17, the broad 
and sandy gulf on the north African coast 
between Carthage and Cyrene. There were 
properly two Syrtes— the eastern or larger, 

181 



QUIVER 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



REBEKAH 



now called the Gulf of Sidra, and the 
western or smaller, now the Gulf of Cabes. 
The former is mentioned in the Acts. 

Quiver. Gen. 27 : 3. A case for arrows. 
See Armor. 

R 

Kaamah (rd'a-mah), trembling. A com- 
mercial country which traded with Tyre. 
Ezek. 27 : 22. It furnished spices, gems, 
and gold, and was probably named after a 
son of Cush, whose descendants are be- 
lieved to have settled upon the southwest- 
em shore of the Persian Gulf. 

Raamses {ra-dm'sez). Ex. 1 : 11. See 
Kameses. 

Kabbah {rdb'bah), greatness. The 
chief city and capital oi the Ammonites. 
Josh, 13 : 25. Its full name is " Rabbath of 
the children of Armnon." Deut. 3 : 11 A. 
V. It is also called " Rabbath of the Am- 
monites." EzeJi. 21 : 20 A. V. Greek and 
Roman writers call it "Philadelphia," a 
name ^iven by Ptolemy Philadelphus, by 
whom it was rebuilt. Its modem name is 
Amman. Rabbath was situated on the upper 
Jabbok, about 22 miles east of the Jordan. 

Rabbi {rab'W), Uterally my master. A 
title given by the Jews to teachers of the 
law, and frequently applied to our Lord by 
the disciples and the people. Matt. 23 : 7, 
8; 26:25, 49; Mark 9:5; 11:21; 14:45; 
John 1 : 38, 49 ; 3 : 2, 26, etc. The usual 
Greek word in the gospels as the title of 
Christ means " teacher." Matt. 8 : 19 ; 9 : 11. 

Rabshakeb {rdb'sha-keh or rab-shd'keh). 
An officer — the chief butler or cupbearer — 
who was sent with Rab-saris, the chief of 
the eunuchs, and Tartan, messengers of 
the king of Assyria, to Hezekiah, summon- 
ing him, in the most indecent and blasphe- 
mous manner, to surrender his capital. 2 
Kings 18 : 17-37. 

Rachel (rd'chel), an ewe. The daughter 
of Laban and wife of Jacob. Her history 
is given in Genesis, chaps. 29-35. She died 
after giving birth to Benjamin, and was 
buried near the road from Bethlehem to 
Jerusalem. Gen. 35 : 19. 

Rahab (rd'hdb), large. 1. A woman of 
Jericho, who received and concealed two 
Hebrew spies. In the siege of the city 
Rahab and her family were spared by the 
Hebrews from the general massacre of the 
inhabitants. Josh. 2 ; 6 : 17-27. She is 
called "a harlot;" but the proof of her 
reformation is found in the eminence of 
her faith. Heb. 11 : 31 ; Jas. 2 : 25. She 
subsequently married Salmon, a prince of 
Judah, and became an ancestress of David, 
'and appears in the genealogy of Christ. 
Ruth 4 : 20 ; Matt. 1 : 5. 2. Rahab, pride. 
An appellation for Egypt, designating the 
insolence and violence of its princes and 
inhabitants. Ps. 87 : 4 ; 89 : 10 ; Isa. 51 : 9. 

Rain. " Early rain " signifies the rain 
of the autumn, Deut. 11 : 14, and " latter 
rain" the rain of spring. Prov. 16:15. 
For six months in the year, from May to 
October, no rain falls, the whole land be- 
comes dry, parched, and brown. The early 
rains commence about the latter part of 

182 



October, continuing through November and 
December. Rain continues to fall more or 
less during the month of March ; it is very 
rare in April. Robinson observes that 
there are not. at the present day, " any par- 
ticular periods of rain or succession of 
showers which might be regarded as dis- 
tinct rainy seasons. The whole period from 
October to March now constitutes only one 
continued season of rain, without any reg- 
ularly intervening term of prolonged fine 
weather. Unless, therefore, there has been 
some change in the climate the early and 
the latter rains, for which the husbandman 
waited with longing, seem rather to have 
implied the first showers of autumn — which 
revived the parched and thirsty soil and 
prepared it for the seed — and the later 
showers of spring, which continued to re- 
fresh and forward both the ripening crops 
and the vernal products of the fields. Jas. 
5:7; Prov. 16 : 15. The rainbow was ap- 
pointed as a sign that God would not again 
destroy the earth by a flood. Gen. 9 : 12-17. 

Ramah {rd'mah), a hill. 1. One of the 
cities of Benjamin. Josh. 18 : 25. Its site 
is at er-Ram, about five miles from Jerasa- 
lem, and near to Gibeah. Judg. 4:5; 19 : 
13 ; 1 Sam. 22 : 6. Its people returned after 
the captivity. Ezra 2 : 26 ; Neh. 7 : 30. 2. 
The home of Elkanah, Samuel's father, 1 
Sam. 1 : 19 ; 2 : 11, the birthplace of Samuel 
himself, his home and oflftcial residence, the 
site of his altar, 1 Sam. 7 : 17 ; 8:4; 15 : 34 ; 
16 : 13 ; 19 : 18, and finally his burial-place. 
1 Sam. 25 : 1 ; 28 : 3. it is said that its 
situation was in Mount Ephraim, 1 Sam. 
1 : 1, a district without defined boundaries. 
The position of Ramah is a much disputed 
question. The latest map of the Palestine 
fund places it a short distance east of Beth- 
lehem. 3. A name applied to four other 
places. 

Rameses {rdm'e-sez or ra-me'sez), son of 
the suri). A province and city in Egypt ; 
called also Raamses. Gen. 47 : 11 ; Ex. 
12 : 37 ; Num. 33 : 3, 5. The district was, 
without doubt, identical with Goshen. 

Ramoth (rd'moth), heights, and Ramoth 
Gilead. 1. A city in Gilead, within the 
limits of the tribe of Gad, Josh. 21 : 38 ; 
called also Ramah and Ramoth-Gilead. 2 
Kings 8 : 28, 29 ; 1 Kings 4 : 13 ; 22 : 1-37 ; 2 
Chron. 18 ; 22 : 5, 6. It was one of the cities 
of refuge. Deut. 4 : 43 ; Josh. 20 : 8 ; 1 Chron. 
6 : 80. During the reigns of the later kings 
of Israel, Ramoth was the occasion of sev- 
eral wars between them and the kings of 
Syria. 1 Kings 22 : 3 ; 2 Kings 8 : 28 ; 9 : 1. It 
may be identical with es-Salt, but more 
probably with Gerash. 

Rebekah {re-bWah), a cord with a noose, 
enchaining. The daughter of Bethuel and 
sister of Laban. She was a woman of per- 
sonal attractions and became the wife of 
Isaac, to whom late in life she bore Esau 
and Jacob. Gen. 22 : 23 ; 24 : 15-67 ; 25 : 20- 
28. Of her sons, Jacob was Rebekah's fa- 
vorite: and she persuaded him to obtain 
his father's blessing by fraud. Gen. 26 : 7, 
8, 35 ; 27. In consequence Jacob had to 
flee from his brother's wrath ; and it is 
probable that Rebekah saw her best-loved 



RECHABITES 



OF THE BIBLE. 



REVELATION, BOOK OF 



son no more. Gen. 28 : 5 ; 29 : 12 ; 35 : 8 ; 
49 : 31. She died before Isaac. 

Becliabites {re'kdb-ites or rSk'ab-ites). A 
Kenite tribe descended from Rechab. Jon- 
adab, one of ttieir chiefs, laid an injunc- 
tion on his posterity to drink no wine, to 
build no houses, but to dwell in tents. This 
injunction they obeyed fully for 300 years ; 
but upon the Chaldean invasion they were 
forced to quit the open country and live in 
Jerusalem. Jer. 35. Afterwards they prob- 
ably withdrew into the desert. For their 
obedience a promise was given them that 
their family should never be extinct. And 
accordingly, at the present day, there is an 
Arabian tribe who claim a descent from 
Rechab, and profess a modified Judaism. 

Red Sea. The Greeks meant by the 
Erythraean or Red Sea not only the Arabian 
Gulf but also the ocean between the In- 
dian and Arabian peninsulas. Some sup- 
pose it was so named from the red color of 
the mountains on the western shores, some 
from the red coral, or the red appearance 
of the water occasioned by certain zo- 
ophytes; others think that, as the Edom- 
itish territory' reached down to this gulf, it 
might be the Sea of Edom, Edom meaning 
red. The Red Sea, from the straits of Bab 
el-Mandeb to its most northerly point at 
Suez, is about 1400 miles in length, its 
greatest width being about 200 miles ; it is 
divided by the Sinaitic peninsula into two 
large arms or gulfs, the eastern extending 
northeast or northerly about 100 miles, with 
an average width of 15 miles, while the 
western extends northwest near 180 miles, 
with an average width of 20 miles. The 
great event associated vnth the Red Sea is 
the passage of the IsraeUtes and the over- 
throw of the Egyptians. Ex. chaps. 14, 15. 
This miraculous event is frequently re- 
ferred to in the Scriptures. Num. 33 : 8 ; 
Deut. 11:4; Josh. 2:10; Judg. 11:16; 2 
Sam. 22:16; Neh. 9:9-11; Ps. 66:6; Isa. 
10 : 26 ; Acts 7 : 36 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 1, 2 ; Heb. 11 : 
29, etc. The place of the crossing has been 
a matter of much controversy. The head 
of the gulf is probably at least 50 miles 
farther south than it was at the time of the 
Exodus. If the Red Sea then included the 
Bitter Lakes of Suez, the crossing may 
have been farther north than would now 
appear possible. Thus the predictions of 
Isaiah, 11:15; 19:5, "The Lord shall ut- 
terly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian 
Sea," " The waters shall fail from the sea," 
are fulfilled. After crossing, the Israelites 
marched down and encamped on the east 
side of the Red Sea (Gulf of Suez). Num. 
33 : 10. From the way of the Red Sea came 
locusts, Ex. 10 : 12-19, and the quails which 
supplied them with food came from the 
same source. Num. 11 : 31. They jour- 
neyed by the way of the Red Sea (the 
eastern arm or Gulf of Akabah) to compass 
Edom. Num. 21 : 4. In the prosperous 
reign of Solomon he " made a navy of 
ships" at Ezion-geber and Elath, which 
were ports at the head of the Gulf of Aka- 
bah. 1 Kings 9 : 26 ; 10 : 22 ; 2 Chron. 8 : 17, 
18. 

Kehol^oam {re-ho-bd'am), enlarges the 



people. The son and successor of Solomon. 
He reigned 17 years, b. c. 975-958. His in- 
solent conduct hastened the political crisis 
which resulted in the division of the He- 
brew kingdom into the two kingdoms of 
Judah and Israel. 1 Kings 12 : 21-24 ; 14 : 
21, 31 ; 2 Chron. 10 : 1-14. Within five years 
of Rehoboam's accession to the throne, the 
kingdom of Judah was invaded by Shi- 
shak, king of Egypt, who desolated the 
country, and made it tributary to Egypt, 
and Shishak's victory is noted in the great 
temple at Karnak. 

Rehobotli (re-ho'both), ivide places. 1. 
A city of Assyria, near Nineveh, founded 
by Asshur or Nimrod. Gen. 10 : 11, 12. 2. 
A city on the Euphrates, Gen. 36 : 37, sup- 
posed to be represented by the modern 
Rahabah. 3. A well belonging to Isaac. 
Gen. 26 : 22. 

K e m p h a n (rSm'fan). Acts 7 : 43, and 
quoted from Amos 5 : 26, where the word in 
Hebrew is " Chiun." It is probable, there- 
fore, that they are names for a god wor- 
shipped secretly by the Israelites in Egypt 
and in the wilderness, answering, probably, 
to Saturn or Moloch, the star-god. 

Bephaim {r?ph'a-tm, or re-phd'im), Val- 
ley of. Josh. 15 : 8 ; 18 : 16 ; and translated 
"the valley of the giants" in the A. V., 
but vale of "Rephaim" in the R. V. It 
was one of the landmarks of the land of 
Judah, named after the Rephaim, or "gi- 
ants," who at an early period were found 
on both sides of the Jordan. Comp. Gen. 
14 : 5 ; Deut. 3 : 11-13 ; Josh. 13 : 12 ; 17 : 15. 
David twice defeated the Philistines in this 
valley. 2 Sam. 5 : 17-25 ; 23 : 13 ; 1 Chron. 
11 : 15, 16 ; 14 : 9-16. The valley was noted 
for its fertility. Isa. 17 : 5. Its position as 
a boundary of Judah would indicate it to 
have been south of the valley of Hinnom. 

Kephidim {ref'i-dim), resting-place. A 
station of the Hebrews before reaching 
Sinai. Num. 33 : 14, 15. Near it was the 
fountain which flowed from the rock in 
Horeb, called "Meribah," and"Massah," 
whence they were miraculously suppUed 
with water. Ex. 17 ; 19 : 2. It may have 
been in Wady Feiran or in some part of 
Wady esh-Sheikh. See Journeys of Israel. 

Reuben (reu'ben), behold a son : The 
eldest son of Jacob and Leah. Gen. 29 : 32 ; 
Deut. 33 : 6. He was deprived of the priv- 
ileges of his birthright, in consequence of 
his improper intercourse with Bilhah, his 
father's concubine. Gen. 35 : 22 ; 49 : 3, 4. 
The portion of the Promised Land assigned 
to the tribe of Reuben lay on the east of 
the Jordan, in the district now called the 
Belka, and is still famous for its fine pas- 
ture lands, as in ancient times. Num. 32 : 
1-38 ; 34 : 14 ; Josh. 1 : 12-18 ; Deut. 3 : 12-16. 

Revelation, Book of. This book, fre- 
quently called by its Greek name, the Apoc- 
alypse, was written by John the apostle and 
the evangelist, about a. d. 95. " This is the 
last and the most mysterious book of the 
Bible. It is the divine seal of the whole. It is 
for the New Testament what Daniel is for 
the Old Testament. It gathers up all the for- 
mer prophecies and extends them to the 
remotest future. It represents the church 

183 



REZIN 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ROME 



in conflict with the great secular powers. 
It unrolls a sublime panorama of Christ's 
victorious march through the world's his- 
tory till the api)earance of the new heaven 
and the new earth, when the aim of crea- 
tion and redemption shall be fully realized. 
The theme is the divine promise, • I come 
quickly,' with the corresponding human 
prayer, ' Even so, come. Lord Jesus.' It 
gives us the assurance that the Lord is 
coming in every great event, and overrules 
all things for his glor>' and the ultimate 
triumph of his kingdom." — Schaff. 

Rezin (re'zin), stable, firm. 1. King of 
Damascus: alhed himself ^nth Pekah and 
defeated Ahaz, but was himself defeated 
by Tiglath-pileser U., his capital destroyed 
and his people carried away into captivitv. 
2 Kings 15:37; 16:5-9; Isa. 7:1-8; 8:6; 9: 
11. 2. One whose descendants returned 
with Zerubbabel. Ezra 2 : 48 ; Neh. 7 : 50. 

Kezon {re'zon), prince. Son of Ehadah, 
a Syrian, who when David defeated Ha- 
dadezer king of Zobah, put himself at the 
head of a band of adventurers and set up 
a petty kingdom at Damascus. 1 Kings 11 : 
23. He harassed the kingdom of Solomon 
during his whole reign. 

Rhegium (re'ji-'Cim), breach. A city on 
the coast near the southwestern end of 
Italy. Paul was detained at this place for 
a day when on his voyage to Rome. Acts 
28 : 18. It is now called Rheggio, the cap- 
ital of Calabria, having about 10,000 inhab- 
itants. 

Rhodes (rodz), a rose. A noted island in 
the Mediterranean, 13 miles from the coast 
of Asia Minor. Paul visited it on his return 
from his third missionary journey. Acts 
21 : 1. He might have there seen fragments 
of the greatest of the Seven "Wonders of 
the world— the famous Colossus of Rhodes. 
This was made of brass, and was 105 feet 
high. It stood at the right of the port as 
vessels entered, and not astride the chan- 
nel, as so generally represented in pictures. 
It was erected b. c. 290, and overthrown by 
an earthquake B. c. 224. The modern city 
is a place of considerable trade. 

Riblah (rWlah), fertility. An ancient 
city in the northeastern frontier of Canaan. 
Num. 34 : 10, 11. The ancient town -vvas 
upon the great road from Palestine to Bab- 
ylon, and was a convenient military- head- 
quarters for the Babylonian kings and oth- 
ers invading the country. Here the Egyp- 
tian king Pharaoh-nechoh put Jehoahaz 
in chains and made Eliakim king, and 
here Nebuchadnezzar brought Zedekiah, 
murdered his sons before his eyes, and then 
put out his eyes and bound him in chains 
to be carried* to Babylon. 2 Khigs 23 :29- 
35 ; 25 : 1-7 ; Jer. 39 : 5-7. Riblah is now a 
mean and poor village. 

Rimmon {rim'mon), pomegranate. 1. 
The name of an idol worshipped in Damas- 
cus. 2 Kings 5 : 18. See Naaman. 2. A 
Benjamite, father of the two men who 
slew Ish-bosheth. 2 Sam. 4 : 2, 5, 9. 3: A 
to^vn in Judah, afterward given to Simeon. 
Josh. 15 : 21, 32 ; 19 : 7 : 1 Chron. 4 : 32 ; Neh. 
11 : 29 ; Zech. 14 : 10. 4. A Levitical city in 
Zebulun. 1 Chron. 6 : 77, R. V., Rimmono. 

184 



It is also called Remmon-methoar. Josh. 
19 : 13 A. V. It is identified with the present 
village Rummaneh, about six miles north 
of Nazareth. 5. A rock whither the 600 
surviving Benjamites retreated after the 
slaughter of their tribe. Judg. 20 : 45, 47 ; 
21 : 13. 

Rizpah {riz'pah), a coal, a hot stoTiefor 
baking. A concubine of Saul whom Abner 
was accused for appropriating, as if thereby 
aiming at the crown. 2 Sam. 3:7. This 
caused a breach between him and Ish- 
bosheth. Her two sons were deUvered to 
the Gibeonites to be hanged : and the story 
of her affection as she watched her dead 
is pecuharly touching. 2 Sam. 21 : 8-11. 

Roman Empire. The empire of Rome 
succeeded the Macedonian empire founded 
by PhiUp and Alexander. It controlled 
the greater part of the then known world. 
The references to the Roman dominion in 
the Bible chiefly allude to the empire in its 
earher history, including the reigns of Au- 
gustus, Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. The 
extent and power of the empire during 
this period were greater than at any earher 
and possibly than at any later time. It 
reached to the Atlantic on the west, the 
Euphrates on the east, the African desert, 
the Nile cataracts, and the Arabian deserts 
on the south, the Rhine, the Danube, and 
the Black Sea on the north. It also con- 
quered Great Britain. Augustus divided 
the pro\inces into two classes— 1. Imperial. 
2. Senatorial These divisions are recog- 
nized in the New Testament. The ruler of 
a senatorial province is " proconsul," and 
of an imperial province a "governor." 
Thus Cyrenius was governor of Sjoia. 
Luke 2:2. Pilate, Felix, and Festus are 
spoken of as " governors," that is, procu- 
rators, of Judsea. Matt. 27 : 2 ; Acts 23 : 24 ; 
24 : 27. 

Romans (ro'manz), Epistle to. It 
was written at Coriutn, a. d. 58, as Paul 
was leaving that citv for Jerusalem. Rom. 
15 : 25 ; comp. Acts 20 : 2, 3, 16 ; Rom. 16 : 1, 
23 ; 1 Cor. 1:14; 2 Tim. 4 : 20. It is the 
fullest exposition of the great truth that 
the gospel is the power of salvation unto 
all who beheve. This epistle is designed 
to correct certain misapprehensions, and 
to show that the system of Jewish rites and 
ceremonies is done away by the gospel dis- 
pensation, and that the way of salvation 
through Christ is opened ahke to Jews and 
Gentiles, and that whosoever will may 
come directly and hopefully to Jesus Christ 
for salvation and pardon from sin. 

Rome {rome). In the New Testament 
times Rome was the capital of the empire 
in its greatest prosperity. Among its inhab- 
itants were many Jews. Acts 28 : 17. They 
had received the liberty of worship and 
other privileges from Caesar, and hved in 
the district across the Tiber, ^^'e know that 
as early as a. d. 64, eight or ten years after 
a church was established there and ad- 
dressed by Paul, Rom. 1:8: 16 : 19, the em- 
peror Nero commenced a furious persecu- 
tion against its members, which the em- 
peror Domitian renewed a. d, 81, and the 
emperor Trajan carried out with hnplaca- 



RUTH 



OP TSU mSLR 



Sabbath 



ble maliee, a, d. 97-117. Seasons of suffer- 
ing and repose succeeded each other alter- 
nately until the reign of Constantine, a. t>. 
325, when Christianity was established as 
the religion of the empire. Within the 
gardens of Nero in the Neronian persecu- 
tion, A. D. 64, after the great conflagration, 
Christians, wrapped in skins of beasts, were 
torn by dogs, or, clothed in inflammable 
stuffs, were burnt as torches during the 
midnight games ; others were crucified. In 
the Colosseum, a vast theatre, games of 
various sorts and gladiatorial shows were 
held, and within its arena many Christians, 
during the ages of persecution, fought with 
wild beasts, and many were slain for their 
faith. The catacombs are vast subterranean 
galleries (whether originally sand-pits or 
excavations is uncertain). Their usual 
height is from eight to ten feet, and their 
width from four to six feet, and they extend 
for miles, especially in the region of the Ap- 
pian and Nomentane Ways. The cata- 
combs were early used by the Christians as 
places of refuge, worship, and burial. More 
than four thousand inscriptions have been 
found in these subterranean passages, which 
are considered as belonging to the period 
between the reign of Tiberius and that of 
the emperor Constantine. Among the old- 
est of the inscriptions in the catacombs is 
one dated a. d, 71. Rome, as a persecuting 
power, is referred to by the " seven heads " 
and " seven mountains" in Rev. 17 : 9, and 
is probably described under the name of 
"Babylon" elsewhere in the same book. 
Rev. 14 : 8 ; 16 : 19 ; 17 : 5 ; 18 : 2, 21. 

Kutli (ruth), a friend, or, according to 
others, beauty. Ruth 1:4. A Moabitish 
woman who married a son of Naomi and left 
her own country to follow her mother-in- 
law into Judsea. Her kindness was abun- 
dantly rewarded, as she soon after married 
Boaz, and became the ancestor of the royal 
family of David, and appears in the gen- 
ealogy of Christ. Matt. 1 : 5. 

Kutli, Book of. This beautiful narra- 
tive belongs to the period of the Judges. 
Ruth 1 : 1. The object of the writer was to 
trace the genealogy of David, and his de- 
scent from a Moabitish mother, who had 
been reduced to extreme poverty. The 
simplicity, integrity, and kind feelings of 
the principal persons exhibited are alto- 
gether remarkable; and the narrative 
shows that David had at least some ances- 
tors who were nature's noblemen. 1 Chron. 
2 : 11, 12. The writer of the book is not 
known, but the Hebrews ascribed it to Sam- 
uel. 

Kye. The word, so rendered in Exod. 9 : 
32 ; Isa. 28 : 25, A V., is translated " fitches " 
in Ezek, 4 :9, "spelt" in the margin. There 
is little doubt that the plant intended by 
the Hebrew word is not rye, but spelt, as it 
is translated in the R. V. 



Sabachthani {sa-bdk'tha-nl, or sd'hak- 
thd'm), thou hast forsaken me. One of the 
words uttered by Christ on the cross. Matt. 



27 : 46 ; Mark 15 : 34. It is part of the phrase 
which is in Syro-Chaldee. 

Sabaoth {saiya-dth or sa-bd'oth), hosts. 
The phrase "Lord of Sabaoth" occurs 
twice in the New Testament, in Rom. 9 : 
29 and James 5:4. It should not be mis- 
taken as referring to the Sabbath. But it is 
the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew 
Tsebaoth, "hosts" or "armies," so often re- 
curring in the Old Testament, "the Lord 
of hosts," Isa. 1 : 9, "the Lord God of Aos^s," 
i. e., the heavenly bodies, the angels, or the 
people of God. 

Sabbath {rest). Ex. 16 : 23. The institu- 
tion of a day of rest is founded in man's 
nature, and dates back to Paradise. Gen. 
2 : 2, 3. The tenn is used of days or times, 
generally every seventh day, or a seventh 
portion of time, separated and sanctified for 
God's service. Lev. 19 : 3, 30 ; 25 : 4, and in 
the original text of the New Testament for 
a whole week. Matt. 28 : 1 ; Mark 16 : 2 ; 
Luke24:l; John 20:1; Acts 20: 7; 1 Cor. 
16 : 2. In a spiritual sense it designates the 
eternal rest in heaven. Heb. 4 : 9 margin, 
and Greek. The fourth commandment, 
Ex. 20 : 8-11 ; Dent. 5 : 12-15, enjoins no spe- 
cific religious service, except in the gen- 
eral direction to keep it holy. Subse- 
quent legislation made it a day of holy 
convocation. The sacrifices of the tem- 
ple were doubled; the shew-bread was 
changed; the inner court of the temple 
was opened for solemn services : the proph- 
ets and the Levites took the occasion for 
imparting religious instruction to the peo- 
ple. It was a day of holy joy. Indeed, the 
fear was that the day would be " wasted by 
idleness and degraded by sensuaUty and 
drunkenness," because it was so joyous. 
Neh. 8 : 9-12 ; Hos. 2 : 11. Christ kept the 
Sabbath in the highest sense of the term. 
He observed every jot and tittle of the Mo- 
saic Law in the freedom of the spirit. 
From him we learn that acts of necessity 
and mercy are to be performed on that day, 
but that worldly occupations are to be put 
as far as possible out of our thoughts. It is 
true we transfer the observance of the Sab- 
bath to the first day of the week, but we do 
not thereby violate the spirit of the divine 
law ; for what God asked ior was the seventh 
of our entire time. We have a warrant 
for this change. Upon the first day of the 
week Christ arose from the dead. We find 
the disciples, before the Ascension, assem- 
bled on that day, and Jesus appeared to 
them. John 20 : 26. According to tradition, 
which is confirmed by eveiy probabiUty, 
the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the 
day of Pentecost was on Sunday. Paul 
preached at Troas on the first day of the 
week — evidently, among those Christians, 
the day of religious service. Acts 20 : 7. 
Paul tells the Corinthians that every one is 
to lay by him in store upon the first day of 
the week as he is prospered. 1 Cor. 16 : 2. 
It-was upon the Lord's day — and by this 
name he calls it — that John on Patmos saw 
through the opened door into heaven. Rev. 
1:10. Around the Lord's day we do well 
to throw safeguards. It is, in a sense, the 
palladium of Christian liberty. The varl- 

185 



SABEANS 



PEOPLE'S DICTION AttY SALT SEA OR DEAt> SEA 



ous states and cities have good laws for the 
protection of the civil Sabbath and against 
its open desecration. The American 
churches are unanimously in favor of a 
quiet Sabbath, in opposition to the evils of 
the so-called " continental Sunday," and 
earnest efforts have been made to" protect 
us against them. See Lord's Day. 

Sabeans {$a-he'anz). 1. Descendants of 
Seba. Isa. 45 : 14. It should be simply 
"people of Seba," son of Cush. 2. In Joel 
3 :8 the descendants of Sheba, son of Jolii- 
tan, are meant. Possibly a third tribe is 
spoljen of in Job 1 : 15. " The translation 
"Sabeans" in Ezek. 23:42 is incorrect; 
read " drunkards," as in the margin and in 
the R. y. 

Sackbut. A musical instrument. The 
word thus (probably erroneously) translated, 
sabbecd, occurs only in Daniel. " Dan. 3 : 5, 7, 
10, 15. It seems really to have been a tri- 
angular instrument with four or more 
strings, played on with the fingers, and 
emitting a sharp, clear sound. 

Sackcloth. A coarse black cloth com- 
monly made of hair. Rev. 6 : 12, such as 
that of goats or camels. It was used for 
straining liquids, for sacks, and for mourn- 
ing garments. Sometimes it was worn un- 
der the ordinary clothes, bound upon the 
loins, or instead of any other kind of dress : 
occasionally it was spread on the ground to 
be lain upon. Gen. 37 : 34 ; 1 Kings 21 : 27 ; 
2 Kings 6 : 30; Isa. 58 •■ 5 ; Joel 1:8; Jonah 
3:5, 6, 8. Deep sorrow was hence denoted 
by sackcloth and ashes. Matt. 11:21. Such 
garments were sometimes the dress of 
prophets and ascetics. Isa. 20 : 2 ; Zech. 
13:4. 

Sacrifice. Gen. 31:54. Sacrifices were 
in use from the earhest periods of the 
world, and among all nations. The uni- 
versality of sacrificial rites is a powerful ar- 
gument on behalf of their naturalness ; 
they meet the demand of the sinner for 
sonie way of appeasing the offended divin- 
ity. But Christians have no need of them, 
simply because of the one perfect Sacrifice 
once offered on the cross. See Ofrermg.s, 
Altar, and Lrainb. 

Sadducees {sCid'du-seez). One of the 
Jewish sects of which we read in the New 
Testament. They were in sharp opposition 
to the Phansees" but ready to work with 
them against the person and teaching of 
Jesus. Their origin is involved in some ob- 
scurity ; probably sprung from Zadok. See 
Bissell's Biblical Antiquities. The tenets 
of the Sadducees may be gathered from the 
notices we have of them in the New Tes- 
tament, illustrated by the account given by 
Josephus, Antiq. lib.' xiii. 5, § 9, 10, § 6, lib. 
xviii.l, § 4. They disregarded the traditions 
and unwritten laws which the Pharisees 
prized so higljly. and professed to take the 
Scriptures as the sole authoritative guide of 
rehgion. They denied the existence of 
angels and spirits, and maintained that 
there was no resurrection. Matt. 22 : 23 ; 
Acts 23 : 8, the soul according to them dying 
with the body ; hence they denied a future 
state of reward or punishment. It was their 
maxim therefore that actions to be virtuous 
186 



must not be done in hope of recompense. 
Another principle of their behef was the 
absolute freedom of man's will, so that he 
had full power of himself to do good or evil 
ashe chose ; and then only could his actions 
have a moral value. But this view was 
pushed so far as almost entirely to exclude 
the divine interposition in the'government 
of the world. The Sadducees were not so 
nmnerous as the Pharisees ; nor were their 
tenets so acceptable to the people. Yet 
many of their body were men of wealth 
and influence. They were found in the su- 
preme coiuicil ; and in the time of Christ 
and the apostles a Sadducee filled the ofiife 
of high priest. Acts 4:1; 5 : 17 ; 23 : 6. Their 
party had, moreover, a poUtical complex- 
ion : they were austere, it may be added, 
in their habits, and severe in the adminis- 
tration of justice. After the first century 
of the Christian era they disappear from 
history. 

Salamis (sdl'a-m'is), peaceful, or beaten. 
A sea-port town with a good harbor, on the 
eastern coast of Cyprus. It Mas visited by 
Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary 
journey. Acts 13 : 5. The city was once 
the capital of Cyprus, and stood on the 
north side of the river Pediseus. Its site is 
now traced by broken cisterns and col- 
umns and the foundations of ancient build- 
ings. The ruins are known as Old Fama- 
gusta. 

Salem (sd'lem), peace. The city of Mel- 
c'hizedek. Gen. 14 : 18 ; Heb. 7 : 1, 2. Jew- 
ish commentators aflirm that Salem is 
Jerusalem, on the ground that Jerusalem 
is so called in Ps. 76 : 2. Nearly all Jewish 
commentators hold this opinion. Jerome, 
however, states that the Salem of Melchiz- 
edek was not Jerusalem, but a town eight 
Roman miles south of Scythopolis, and 
identifies it with Salim, Avhere John bap- 
tized. See Salim. 

Salim {sd'lim), peace OT foinitainsf A 
place named to mark the locahty of ^^non, 
where John baptized. John 3 : 23. Some 
identify it with Salem. Eusebius and Je- 
rome mention Sahm as near the Jordan, 
eight Roman miles south of Sej'lhopoUs. 
Robinson suggested that it was identical 
with the village of Sahm, three miles east 
of Nabliis. 

Salmon {sdl'mon), shady. Ps. 68 : 14, A. 
v., or Zalmon. Judg. 9 : 48. This was 
one of the high hills which environed the 
ancient Shechem and afibrded pasturage 
for Jacob's flocks. 

Salome {sa-ldme'; Greek and Latin, Sa- 
lo'me. 1. The wife of Zebedee, and the 
mother of James the elder and John the 
Evangelist, and was one of the followers 
of Christ, Matt. 27 : 56 ; Mark 15 : 40 ; 16 : 1, 
though she seems, like many others, to 
have at first mistaken the true nature of 
his kingdom. Matt. 20 : 21. 2. The name 
of the daughter of Herodias, who danced 
before Herod. Matt. 14 : 6 ; Mark 6 : 22. 
She is not named in the New Testament, 
but is bv Josephus. 

Salt. See Lev. 2 : 13 : Matt 5 : 13. 

Salt Sea or Dead Sea. Names. This 
sea is called in the Scriptures the "sea of 



SALT, VALLEY OF 



OF THE BIBLE. 



samahia 



the plain," R.V. "of the Arabah," Deut. 
4 : 49 ; 2 Kings 14 : 25 ; the " salt sea," Deut. 
3 : 17 ; Josh 3 : 16 ; 12 : 3 ; the " east sea," 
Joel 2 : 20 ; Ezek. 47 : 18 ; Zech. 14 : 8 ; and 
" the sea," Ezek. 47 : 8. It also appears as 
the " vale of Siddim." Gen. 14 : 3. The 
title "Dead Sea" is not found in Jewish 
writers, but was introduced at an early pe- 
riod by the Greek authors. This remark- 
able sheet of water is of an elongated oval 
shape ; but the regularity of the figure is 
broken by a large peninsula projecting 
from the eastern shore near to the southern 
end, dividing the whole into two reaches 
which communicate by a somewhat nar- 
row channel. The extreme length is about 
46 miles, the greatest breadth above ten 
miles. The superficial area has been esti- 
mated at about 300 square miles ; but, as it 
would seem that the water does not con- 
stantly stand at the same level, that car- 
ried off by evaporation not always balanc- 
ing that brought in by streams, the dimen- 
sions of the lake are subject to not incon- 
siderable variation. A line of drift-wood 
encircles the lake, branches and Umbs of 
trees, brought down by the Jordan and 
other torrents, and marking the highest 
level of the water. There is a salt and 
stony plain at the northeast corner, but 
the eastern side has been less explored. 
The Jordan, also, and various streams east 
and west empty themselves into it. And, 
as there is no outlet, the waters are in- 
tensely salt. Its specific gravity is therefore 
higher than that of the ocean, so that per- 
sons unable to swim elsewhere cannot sink 
in this lake. It was once imagined that 
life could not subsist above it. The waters 
were said to be almost motionless, and 
their steam pernicious. Birds and wild 
fowl are fomid on it, but no fish in it. 
The most extraordinary fact in regard 
to the Dead Sea is that it lies in so deep 
a cleft among its mountains that its sur- 
face is about 1293, or according to Lynch 
1316, feet below the level of the Mediterra- 
nean. The Jordan flows through a sunken 
valley, the fall along its course being rapid 
and considerable, till it reaches its lowest 
point in this lake. Moreover, the depth 
of the water of the lake is very great, 
1310 feet at its deepest point towards the 
northern end ; the southern end is shallow. 
The cities of the plain, which were de- 
stroyed by "brimstone and fire from the 
Lord out of heaven," were near the Dead 
Sea. Gen. 19 : 24. The supposition formerly 
most common was that these cities were 
submerged by the waters of the sea at 
the time of the great catastrophe — a the- 
ory which appears to be inconsistent with 
the geological and physical character of 
the region. See Sodom. 

Salt, Valley of. Apparently the Ghor 
or valley at the southwestern extremity of 
the Dead Sea, adjacent to the mountain of 
salt ; where the Hebrews gained two deci- 
sive victories over the Edomites. The "Syr- 
ians " is read in 2 Sam. 8 : 13, by a copy- 
ist's error. 1 Chron. 18 : 12 ; 2 Kings 14 -.7 ; 
2 Chron. 25 : 11. In this neighborhood lay 
also the City of Salt. Josh. 15 : 61, 62. 



Salute, Matt. 10 : 12 ; Salutation, Luke 
1 : 41. The salutations of the Jews were 
usually of a religioiis character — at least, 
in form— and were attended with much 
ceremony, as they are to this day among 
the orientals. Sometimes there was noth- 
ing but the simple exclamation, "The 
Lord be with you ! " or " Peace be with 
you ! " To this last and most common 
form striking allusion is made by our Sa- 
viour. John 14 : 27 ; 20 : 19, 26. It passed 
into the epistolary salutation. Rom. 1 : 7, 
etc. The time occupied in the ceremonies 
of salutation, repeatedly bowing, kissing 
the beard, etc., was often very considera- 
ble. Gen. 33 : 3, 4, and hence the caution in 
2 Kings 4 : 29 ; Luke 10 : 4, against saluting. 

Samaria {sa-md'ri-ah ; Lat. sdm'a-rl'ah), 
watch-post. A city and district of Palestine. 
The city was founded by Omri. 1 Kings 
16 : 23, 24. The palace at Tirzah, where the 
preceding monarch had resided, was burnt 
by Zimri. A hill admirably adapted for 
the site of a great city and capital be- 
longed to Shemer. Omri purchased it for 
two talents of silver ; and the city that 
he built thereon he called " Samaria," 
after the name of the former owner. 1 
Kings 16 : 18, 23, 24. Thenceforth it was the 
metropoUs of the northern kingdom, the 
rival of Jerusalem, and generally the resi- 
dence of the Israelitish monarchs, 1 Kings 
16 : 29 ; 20 : 43 ; 2 Kings 1 . 2, though they 
had also a palace at Jezreel. 1 Kings 21 : 1 ; 
2 Kings 8 : 29. The worship of Baal was 
set up in Samaria by Ahab, who built 
there an altar and a temple to the idol-god, 
1 Kings 16 : 32, which were destroyed by 
Jehu. 2 Kings 10 : 18-28. Samaria was un- 
successfully besieged by the Syrians in the 
reigns of Ahab and Joram. 1 Kings 20 : 1- 
21 ; 2 Kings 6 : 24-33 ; 7. It was ultimately 
taken by the Assyrians after a siege of three 
years in the reign of Hoshea. 2 Kings 17 : 
5, 6; 18:9, 10. The inhabitants were car- 
ried into captivitv and colonists put in their 
place. 2 Kings 11 : 24 ; Ezra 4 : 9, 10. The 
city was taken by Alexander the Great, 
who placed a body of Syro-Macedonians in 
it. Subsequently Samaria was utterly de- 
stroyed by John" Hyrcanus. It must, how- 
ever, have been rebuilt ; for in the time of 
Alexander Jannseus it was reckoned one 
of the cities possessed by the Jews. Pom- 
pey assigned it to the province of Syria. 
Augustus gave it to Herod the Great, who 
adorned it, settled a colony of veterans 
there, and strengthened its defences. He 
also gave it the name of Sebaste in honor 
of the emperor— Sebastos being the Greek 
equivalent of Augustus. But it began to 
decay, overshadowed by its neighbor Nab- 
lous, and it is now but a mass of ruins, ad- 
jacent to the modern village of Sebustieh. 
Samaria was gloriously beautiful, " a crown 
of pride," Isa. 28 : 1, upon its fruitful hill. 
" The site of this celebrated capital," says 
Dr. Thomson, "is dehghtful, by univer- 
sal consent." The name Samaria is often 
apphed to the northern kingdom. Thus 
the sovereigns are called kings of Samaria 
as well as of Israel, 1 Kings 21 : 1 ; 2 Kings 
1, 3 ; and we also read of " the cities of Sa- 

187 



SAMARITANS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONABY 



SARAH 



maria." 2 Kings 17 : 24. In New Testa- 
ment times Samaria was one of the Roman 
di%Tsions of Palestine Ij'ing between Gali- 
lee and Judaea ; so that any one who would 
pass straight from one of these pro\inces 
to the other "must needs go through Sa- 
maria." John 4:4. It occupied the ancient 
territories of the tribes of Ephraim and 
western Manasseh. 

Samaritans {sa-mdr't-tanz). 2 Kings 17 : 
-29 ; comp. vs. 9-12. In the New Testament 
the word denotes the mixed race which 
sprang from the remnant of Israel and the 

, colonists brought from various parts of As- 
syria at the captivity. 2 Kings 17 : 23, 24. 
The colonists hv.ed at first in heathenism ; 
but they afterwards sought to propitiate 
" the god of the land " by bringing back an 
Israehtish priest to Bethel, and minghng 
with their ovra idolatries a corrupt worship 
of Jehovah. 2 Kings 17 : 25-33, 41. The 
Jews, on their return from capti\dty, b. c. 
536, declined the Samaritans' request to be 
permitted to help build the temple. Ezra 
4. In consequence of this refusal the Sa- 
maritans hindered the erection of the tem- 
ple and afterwards the rebuilding of the 
walls of Jerusalem, b. c. 445. Neh. 4 : 6. 
The enmity was increased by the erection 
of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, where 
the Samaritans offered sacrifices according 
to the Mosaic law, referring to Deut. 27 : 
11-13, as proof that this was the proper site 
for the temple. The bitter animosity be- 
tween the two races must be understood in 
order to understand many facts in New 
Testament history, 

Samos {sd'mos), a height. An island in 
the ^^gean Sea, a few miles from the main 
land, and 42 miles southwest of Smyrna. 
The island is 27 miles long, ten miles wide, 
and has an area of 165 square miles. It 
was the seat of Juno-worship, the birth- 
place of Pj^thagoras, and noted for its val- 
uable potterj'. Paul visited the island on 
his third mis'siouarj' journey. Acts 20 : 15. 
Samos was then the capitalof the island. 

Samson {sdm'son), sunlike. The son of 
Manoah, and noted as the strongest man. 
He was judge of a portion of Israel for 20 
years, during the latter part of "the 40 
years" period, and partly contemporary 
with Eh and Samuel. Judg. chaps. 13-16. 
His birth was miraculously foretold ; he was 
a Nazirite from infancy ; celebrated for his 

- fearless and wonderfiil exploits, for his 
moral infirmities, and for his tragical end. 
He was not a giant in size ; his exploits 
were wrought by special di^ine aid ; " the 
Spirit of God came mightily upon him." 
Judg. 13 : 25 ; 14 : 6, 19 ; 15 : 14 ; 16 : 20, 28. 
The pro"\T.dence of God was signally dis- 
played in overruling for good the hastj' 
passions of Samson, the cowardice of his 
friends, and the malice of his enemies. 
Samson is ranked with the heroes of the 
faithful. Heb. 11 : 32, 33. But we must, 
of course, not judge him from the stand- 
. point of the New Testament. He hved in 
the wild anarchial i)eriod of the judges, 
when might was right, and he was just the 
man for that time. 
Samuel {Sdm'u-eT), heard of God. A great 

188 "^ 



prophet, the last judge of Israel before the 
monarchy, which he introduced by anoint- 
ing Saul. He appears also as the head of 
a school of prophets. 1 Sam. chaps. 1-5. 
He was the son of Elkanah a Le\ite, de- 
scended from that Korah who perished in 
the wilderness. Num. 16 ; 26 : 11. Little 
is recorded in detail of his administration. 
For a number of years he judged Israel — 
this is the sum of what is told— though 
whether his authority was recognized by 
all the tribes may admit of question. The 
places to which he is said to have gone on 
circuit were all in the south of Palestine, 1 
Sam. 7 ; and when he appointed his sons 
to office it was in Beer-sheba, the extreme 
south. 

Samuel, First and Second Books of. 
We cite this from Rice's Our Sixty-six Sa- 
cred Books : The two books of Samuel were 
originally one in the Hebrew Bible. Even 
the Massoretic note at the end of the sec- 
ond book, giving the number of verses, 
treats them as one book. The Septuagint 
regarded the books of Samuel and of Kings 
as a complete history of the Hebrew king- 
dom, and divided them into four books, 
calling them " Books of the Kingdoms." 
This division is followed in the Latin and 
Douay versions, where they are named the 
first, second, third, and fourth books of 
Kings. The modem division was intro- 
duced into Hebrew printed Bibles in 1518. 
The author of the two now called 1 and 2 
Samuel is unknown. The name of the 
books probably arises from the fact that 
Samuel is the hero of the first part. Sam- 
uel could have written only 24 chapters of 
the first book, since the 25th chapter re- 
cords his death. The contents indicate that 
ofl&cial records may have been consulted 
by the %vriter, and national hymns were 
incorporated in the work, as the song of 
Hannah, 1 Sam. 2 : 1-10 ; Da\id's song over 
Abner, 2 Sam. 3 : 33, 34 ; his thanksgiving 
song, and his farewell song, 2 Sam. 22; 
23 : 1-7. The date of composition was not 
later than Solomon's time, as the language 
proves. "It is pure Hebrew, free from 
Aramaisms and late forms. Constructions 
such as are found in Kings are not found 
in Samuel." The difficulties are chiefly 
the adjustment of the chronology, the va- 
riations between the Hebrew and Greek 
texts, and the apparent discrepancies, as 1 
Sam. 23 : 19 ; 24 : 22, and chap. 26. The 
first book covers a period of about 80 years 
— 1171 to 1056 B. c. — and the second book 
from 1056 to 1015 b. c. — the important era of 
the reign of David 

Sanballat {san-bdl'lat), heroes. A satrap 
of the king of Persia, in Samaria. He was 
a native of Horonaim, a town of Moab. 
He endeavored by every means to hinder 
Nehemiah in the 'work of rebuilding Jeru- 
salem. Neh. 2 : 10 ; 4 : 1 ; 6 : 1-14 ; 13 : 28. 

Sarah (sd'rah), princess. 1. The wife 
and half-sister, Gen. 20 : 12, of Abraham, 
and mother of Isaac. Her name is written 
Sarai in Gen. 11 : 29, The change of her 
name from Sarai, my princess (i. e. Abra- 
ham's), to Sarah, princess, was made when 
Abram's name was changed to Abraham. 



SARDINE 



OP THE BIBLE. 



SCORPION 



She died at Hebron at the age of 127 years, 
28 years before her husband, and was buried 
by him in the cave of Machpelah. She is 
referred to in the New Testament as a type 
of conjugal obedience in 1 Pet. 3 : 6, and as 
one of the types of faith in Heb. 11 : 11. 

Sardine, Rev. 4 :3, A. V., or Sardius, 
Ex. 28 : 17. A gem of a blood-red or flesh 
color, susceptible of a high polish, and also 
called "sard" or "carnelian." Its former 
name it obtains from Sardis, in Asia Minor, 
where it was first found. This stone has 
long been a favorite for the engraver's art. 

Sardis {sdr'dis). A city in Asia Minor, 
and the capital of Lydia. Sardis was situ- 
ated at the foot of Mount Tmolus, about 50 
miles northeast of Smyrna and on the river 
Pactolus, celebrated for its "golden sands." 
It was the residence of the famous Croesus, 
whose name is the synonym for riches. 
When Cyrus conquered him, b. c. 548, he is 
said to have taken treasure of the value of 
1600,000,000. Sardis was the seat of one of 
the seven churches of Asia, and the Chris- 
tians seem to have been so corrupted by the 
prevailing worldUness that they received a 
severe rebuke. Rev. 3 : 1-5. 

Sargon {sar'gon), firm king. An Assyrian 
king, successor of Shalmaneser and father 
of Sennacherib. For centuries nothing was 
known of him only one fact, Isa. 20 : 1, that 
Ashdod was taken by his command. The 
exhumed ruins of the Khorsabad palace 
show him to have been a great warrior 
with able generals, the chief of whom was 
Tartan. He reigned from 722 to 705 B. c, 
and was murdered in the magnificent pal- 
ace he had built. 

Satan {sd'tan), adversary. 1 Chron. 21 : 1. 
The adversary of God and man, the foe to 
goodness, and the tempter to evil. The 
proper name appears five times in the Old 
Testament, 1 Chron. 21 : 1 ; Job 1 : 6,12 -,2:1; 
Zech. 3 : 1 ; in the New Testament 25 times ; 
the word "devil" occurs 25 times; "the 
prince of this world," three times; "the 
wicked one," six times; "the tempter," 
twice. In one remarkable verse several 
epithets are combined — the old serpent, the 
devil, and Satan, who deceiveth the whole 
world. Rev. 12 : 9. The most striking men- 
tion of Satan is in Job, where he appears 
among " the sons of God." This is in itself 
sufficient to jirove the subordination of the 
powers of evil unto God and the permissive 
nature of sin, and that Satan has no au- 
thority to vex save as God grants it. The 
existence of Satan is a perpetual menace 
to godliness. See Devil. 

Satyr {sat'ir). A fabled creature of Greek 
mythology, part man and part goat, and 
supposed to be the deity of forests and 
rural places. The expression " satyrs shall 
dance there," Isa. 13 :21 (the R. V. margin 
reads " he goats," comp. also Isa. 34 : 14), de- 
notes that the place shall become a rude, 
wild, uncultivated waste. 

Saul (sawl), asked for, desired. 1. The 
first king of Israel. He was the son of Kish, 
of the tribe of Benjamin. 1 Sam. 9 : 1, 2 ; 
10 : 1, 21, 23, 24. In personal appearance he 
was tall, remarkably fine and noble. After 
his signal defeat of the Ammonites, Saul 



was confirmed on the throne by the army 
at Gilgal, 1 Sam. 11, though the contin- 
uance of the theocracy was earnestly in- 
sisted on by Samuel. 1 Sam. 12. He car- 
ried on successful wars against the Ammon- 
ites, the Philistines, the Moabites, and the 
Amalekites. 1 Sam. 13 : 1-21 ; 14 : 46-52. 
Saul, however, in two instances, forgot 
that he was subject to Jehovah, the invis- 
ible King. 1 Sam. 13 : 11-14 ; 15. Hence Je- 
hovah commanded Samuel to anoint David 
privately, as Saul's successor to the king- 
dom. 1 Sam. 16 : 1-13. From this time 
Saul is exhibited as the slave of jealousy, 
dupUcity, and mahce ; he fell at last into'a 
deep melancholy. David was introduced 
to the court to soothe Saul, and there he 
became acquainted with the manners of 
the court, and the business of government. 
1 Sam. 16 : 14-23. See David. The Phihs- 
tines mustered an army so formidable, that 
Saul, finding himself abandoned of God, 
applied in his emergency to a witch at En- 
dor. Disheartened by the ambiguous an- 
swer of the wily sorceress, Saul advanced 
against the Philistines. The Hebrews were 
routed, and Saul, finding himself wounded, 
fell upon his own sword, b. c. 1056, after a 
reign of forty years. 1 Sam. 28 : 1-25 ; 31. 
There is no character in history more pitia- 
ble than this wretched king, swayed by 
evil impulse, tormented by his own con- 
science, powerless as it seemed for every- 
thing but mischief His better thoughts, if 
temporarily awakened, were stings and 
scourges to him. 1 Sam. 24 : 17 ; 26 : 21. 

Saviour. See Jesus Christ. 

Scapegoat. Lev. 16 : 8, 10, R. V. Azazel. 
See Goat and Atonement. 

Scarlet. Gen. 38 : 28. The Hebrew word 
tolah signifies a worm, i. e., the coccus worm, 
from which the color was made. 

Scliool, Acts 19 : 9 ; Scliolar, 1 Chron. 
25 : 8 ; Scliool-master, R. V. " tutor." Gal. 
3 : 24. Schools were estabUshed under the 
prophets to train young men to become ex- 
pounders of Jewish law, and to fit them for 
the priestly and prophetical offices. 1 Sam. 
19 : 18-24 ; 2 Kings 2 : 3, 5, 7, 15. The office 
nearly answered to that of a governor or 
tutor. Gal. 4 : 2, 3, who constantly attends 
his pupil, teaches him, and forms his man- 
ners. Maimonides thus describes a Jewish 
school : " The teacher sat at the head, and 
the pupils surrounded him as the crown 
the head, so that every one could see the 
teacher and h ear his words. The teacher did 
not sit in a chair while the pupils sat on the 
ground, but all either sat on chairs or on 
the grormd." The children read aloud to 
acquire fluency. The number of school- 
hours was limited, and during the heat of 
the summer was only four hours. The pun- 
ishment employed was beating with a 
strap, never with a rod. The chief studies 
were their own language and literature ; 
the chief school-book the Holy Scriptures. 

Scorpion. 1. A venomous creature alUed 
to the spider, but resembling the lobster. 
Its usual length is one or two inches, but in 
tropical climates it is sometimes found six 
or eight inches in length, and its sting is 
attended with excruciating pain, Rev. 9 : 

180 



SCOURGE 



PEOPLE'S JblCTIONAPY 



SCRlJPl'tmE 



3-6, terminating often in violent conrul- 
sions and death. Scorpions are abundant 
in Palestine, and are especially common 
about Mount Sinai. Deut. 8 : 15. They re- 
main dormant during the cold season, but 
through the rest of the year swarm under 
stones and in all the crannies and crevices 
of walls and houses. The sting is a curved 
claw at the end of the tail, and this latter 
the animal, in running, carries over its 
back in a threatening attitude. Luke 11 : 
12 seems to mean merely the bestowal of a 
dangerous and unwelcome gift rather than 
a good one, and may refer to the Greek 
proverb : "A scorpion instead of a perch." 
2. An instrument resembling a whip, with 
knots, bits of lead, or small stones at the 
end. 1 Kings 12 : 11. See Scourge. 

Scourge, Deut. 25 : 1-3. An instrument 
of punishment in Egypt and Rome. The 
number of stripes was limited by Moses to 
forty ; which the Jew^s, in later times, w^ere 
so careful not to exceed, that they inflicted 
only thirty-nine. Deut. 25 : 3 ; 2 Cor. 11 : 24. 
There were two ways of scourging; one 
with thongs or whips'; the other with rods 
or twigs. Sometimes sharp iron points or 
sharp-cornered pieces of metal were fast- 
ened to the end of the thongs, to render the 
suflTering still more extreme. The punish- 
ment was inflicted on the offender lying on 
the ground. Ex, 21 : 20 ; Lev. 19 : 20 ; Deut. 
22 : 18 ; Prov. 10 : 13 ; 13 : 24 ; 20 : 30 ; 23 : 13, 
14 ; Ps. 89 : 32. In later times the offender 
"was tied by his arms to a pillar, and his 
back laid bare to the virgos or rods of the 
lictor. To this degrading punishment no 
Roman citizen could be subjected. Matt, 
10:17; 27:26; John2:15; Acts 16:23; 22: 
25 ; 26 : 11 ; Heb. 11 : 35. 

Scribe. There are two Hebrew words 
which mean " a writer," but one is usually 
translated in the A. V. by " ofi&cer," the 
other is rendered "scribe."" The art of 
writing among the Hebrews may not have 
been in early times generally learned, and 
therefore a class of men would arise who 
earned their Uving by carrjing on corre- 
spondence or conducting accounts. Sheva 
was the scribe of Da^^d. 2 Sam, 20:25, 
The king's scribe recorded the edicts, and 
sometimes acted as treasurer. 2 Kings 12 : 
10.' Scribes also ofticiated in the army. 
Jer, 52 : 25. Scribes in the New Testament 
were the copyists of the law, and w^ere pop- 
ularly regarded as the teachers or expound- 
ers of the law. Ezra was their leader and 
pattern, Ezra 7 : 6. But these learned ex- 
pounders of the law took greater hberties 
with the text and made it void through 
their traditions. Mark 7 : 13. Some were 
members of the Sanhedrin. Matt. 26 : 3 
(A, V. but omitted in R. V.) ; 21 : 15. 
Jesus reproved them repeatedly and in 
the most unmeasured terms. Matt. 23 ; 
1-33. Thev were his determined and wily 
foes. Luke 5 : 30 ; 6:7; 11 : 53. That there 
were exceptions is manifest, for Jesus speaks 
of scribes being sent of God, Matt. 23 : .34, 
and one of his parables relates to a scribe 
" instructed unto the kingdom of heaven." 
Matt, 13 : 52. The scribes and lawyers were 
one class, 

190 



Scripture, xm-iting, and Scriptures, 

writings. The name given in the Bible to 
portions of the recorded wall of God ; called 
also " Holy Scriptures," Rom. 1 : 2 ; 2 Tim. 
3:15, and" once "the Scripture of truth." 
Dan. 10 : 21. The more common title in the 
Bible is "Law," and "Law of Moses." 
Christ refers frequently to passages in the 
Old Testament in this way, and once desig- 
nates the entire collection by the three di- 
visions known to the Jews, " the Law of 
Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms." 
Luke 24 : 44. The term Scripture occurs 52 
times in the A. V,, only once in the Old 
Testament : but compare 2 Kings 22 : 13 ; 
Ps. 40 : 7, and Ps. 119. "Law," "Law of 
Moses," occur 426 times, and "Gospel" in 
the New Testament only 101 times. The 
prophets frequently used the phrase, " the 
word of the Lord." Isa. 1 : 10 ; Jer. 2:4; 
Ezek. 12 : 17 ; Dan. 9:2; Hos. 1:1; Joel 1 : 
1, Scripture is called in the New Testa- 
ment "the word of God," "oracles of God," 
and "God's words." Acts 4:31; 6:7; 12: 
24; Rom. 3:2; and John 8:47. In the 
New Testament Paul's epistles are classed 
with the Old Testament as " Scripture." 2 
Pet. 3 : 16. The teiin Bible comes from the 
Latin Bihlia, and Greek Bihlos or Biblion, 
meaning book. It was used by Josephus — 
70-100 A. D., and Philo, to designate single 
books of the Old Testament ; and later oy 
Chrysostom— 350-407 A, D. — for the whole 
collection. "The Jews have the books — 
bihlia — " . , . "Provide yourselves with 
books, ... at least procure the new, the 
Apostolos, the Acts, the Gospels." Horn. 2 
and 9. He also called them "the divine 
books." It was appUed to the Holy Scrip- 
tures by Chaucer — 1400, and WyckliflFe — 
1384, and used as a title by Coverdale — 1535. 
Since then the " Holy Bible " has become 
the common Enghsh title for the collection 
of 66 sacred books, accepted by all Chris- 
tians as the authoritative word of God. 
The Bible is divided into the Old and the 
New Testaments, a name based upon 2 Cor, 
3 : 14 ; testament referring there to the old 
covenant. Thus we read of the " book of 
the Covenant," Ex, 24 : 7 ; 2 Kings 23 : 2, a 
phrase which was transferred in time to 
the entire Hebrew Sacred Scriptures, and 
the New Testament or Covenant to the 
Christian. There are 39 separate books in 
the Old Testament, and 27 m the New Tes- 
tament, making 66 books in the Bible. 
They are called "holy" or "sacred "be- 
cause the5' are the written revelations of 
God. "For the prophecy came not in old 
time by the will of men ; but holy men of 
God spake as thev were moved by the Holy 
Ghost." 2 Pet. 1 :"21 A. V., or in R. V., " for 
no prophecy ever came by the will of man ; 
but men spake from God, being moved by 
the Holy Ghost." Comp. 2 Tim. 3 :16, and 
2 Pet. 3 : 16. The Jews, besides dividing the 
Old Testament into the Law, the Prophets, 
and the Psalms, or the writings, as before 
noted, made other divisions in the text of 
separate books for convenience in reading 
in public worship. For example, they di- 
\'ided the " Law%" the five books of Moses, 
into 54 portions, and these were subdivided 



SCillPT^URE 



OF fiis ntsi^. 



SCRIPTURE 



into smaller sections. From these grew the 
modern division of the Old Testament into 
chapters and verses. The New Testament 
was divided into chapters and verses by 
Stephens in 1551, and hkewise first ap- 
peared in the Genevan Enghsh Bible in 
1557-1560. The chronological dates were 
first inserted by Lloyd in 1701, and are 
from Ussher. The marginal references to 
facilitate finding texts on the same or sim- 
ilar topics, were greatly improved by Drs. 
Paris and Blayney, 1762, 1769. The italics 
in the Enghsh versions do not indicate em- 

I)hatic words, but are inserted by the trans- 
ators to complete the sense and to show 
that there are no words in the original He- 
brew or Greek to correspond Avith these 
Enghsh words in itahcs. The original 
text of the Old Testament is Hebrew (ex- 
cept a small portion in Chaldaic) ; the New 
Testament was written in Greek. The text 
of the Hebrew Bible has been carefully 
preserved by the labors of men who re- 
garded it with great reverence. The Masso- 
retic text of to-day is the work of a body 
of scholars living at Tiberias, in Gahlee, 
and at Sora in the Euphrates valley, who 
added the vowel points. The oldest extant 
Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts date 
from the tenth century. The entire Hebrew 
Bible was first printed in 1488. Besides the 
Jewish Massoretes, able Hebrew scholars 
have carefully and conscientiously com- 
pared various Hebrew copies with the old 
Greek translations, to give us a more accu- 
rate Hebrew text than could be gained 
from a single ancient manuscript. The 
New Testament Greek text has received 
greater critical study than even the Old 
Testament text. Copies of the gospels and 
epistles were early multiplied in great num- 
bers. These manuscripts are of two classes 
— uncials, written in capitals and with no 
division of words or sentences and very 
few marks of punctuation, and cursives, 
written in running hand. The former are 
the older, dating from the fourth to the 
tenth century. The material used, the 
style of writing, and other peculiarities, 
enable experts to tell very nearly to what 
century any given manuscript belongs. 
The first printed New Testament text that 
was published was that of Erasmus in 1516. 
What is called the Received Text (Greek) 
is that of the Elzevir Edition, 1633. The 
toils of a long succession of scholars have 
sufficed to furnish a text that satisfactorily 
represents the original. Chief among these 
scholars were Beza, Mill, Bengel, and 
Bentley in the centuries that followed the 
Reformation. They were followed by Gries- 
bach — 1754-1812, Lachmann — 1793-1851, 
Tischendorf — 1815-1874, Tregelles — 1813- 
1875, Westcott, and Hort, and through their 
labors we have a satisfactory and pure 
text of the Greek Testament. 

Order of the Books.— TYio, order of the va- 
rious books differs in Hebrew manuscripts, 
according as they are Talmudic or Masso- 
retic. The Talmudic order is : the Law, or 
five books of Moses; the Prophets, viz., 
Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 
Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, the twelve 



minor Prophets ; the Writings, viz., Ruth, 
Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song 
of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, 
Ezra with Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles. 
The Massoretes order is : the Law, the earUer 
Prophets, then Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Eze- 
kiel ; and the k'thubim or Writings are thus 
arranged : Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the five 
megilloth, viz., Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lam- 
entations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, then Dan- 
iel, Ezra with Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles. 
The order in the Septuagint varies consid- 
erably from that of the Hebrew. The 
books of the New Testament maybe classed 
as historical, doctrinal, and prophetical. 
The historical, viz., the four Gospels, and 
the Acts of the Apostles, always stand first. 
Of the doctrinal class, some leading manu- 
scripts — including the Alexandrine and 
Vatican — make the catholic epistles pre- 
cede those of Paul ; the Hebrews following 
2 Thessalonians. The Western church has 
generally placed the Pauline epistles first, 
namely, those to churches, then those to 
individuals, with the Hebrews last, the au- 
thor being, according to many, uncertain. 
The prophetical book. Revelation, always 
closes the sacred volume. See Rice's Our 
Sixty-six Sacred Books for further account 
of the text, versions, etc. 

Ancient Translations. — 1. The oldest trans- 
lation of the Old Testament is the Greek, 
made about two centuries before Christ. It 
is called the Septiaagint — i. e.. seventy, a 
round number for the more exact seventy- 
two— from a tradition that the work was ex- 
ecuted by 72 Jewish scholars. It was in 
universal use among the Jews in Christ's 
day, and is continually quoted by the New 
Testament writers. This translation instead 
of the Hebrew was translated into Latin 
by the early Christian fathers, and is the 
authority in the Greek Church to-day. The 
Jews, however, abandoned it, and returned 
to the study and use of the original Hebrew. 
2. A translation into Syriac was made by 
Christians, direct from the Hebrew, called 
the Peshitta {simple), because it was hteral, 
and not paraphrastic, was in common use 
in the fourth century. 3. Of Latin trans- 
lations are the Itala, made from the Septu- 
agint, and the translation by Jerome, the 
most learned Christian of his day, directly 
from the Hebrew, a. d. 385-405, which is 
called the Vulgate. All Roman Cathohc 
versions must be conformed to it. 

Modern Translations. — Only a few lead- 
ing modern versions can be noticed : 1. 
German, by Luther, New Testament, in 
1522, and Bible, 1534 ; revised version, 1892. 2. 
French, by Le Fevre, at Antwerp, 1530; Oli- 
vetan, 1535, and Segonds, 1880. 3. Dutch, 
synod of Dort, 1637, Staats Bibel. 4. Itahan. 
Diodati, 1607. 5. Spanish, by Valero, and 
by San Miguel, 1602, 1794. 6. Arabic, by E. 
Smith and Van Dyck, 1866. Many trans- 
lations have been made by missionaries. 

English Translations. — Translations of por- 
tions of the Bible were made into Anglo- 
Saxon in the eighth century and into early 
English in the thirteenth or earlier. The 
chief translations are: Wyckhfffe's New 
Testament, from the Latin in 1380, and his 

191 



SCRIPTUEE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



SCRIPTURE 



followers also translated the Old Testament ; 
these were written. Tyndale's, from the 
Greek, first English New Testament, printed 
1526. Coverdale's Bible, 1535, chdefly from 
the Latin. This was the first entire Bible 
printed in Enghsh, and probably at Zurich. 
Matthews' Bible,- a fusion of the transla- 
tions by TjTadale and Coverdale, and made 
by Jolin Rogers, the martyr, under the 
name of Matthews, 1537. It was pubhshed 
with the English king's Ucense, and hence 
was the first authorized version in Enghsh. 
Taverner's Bible was a revision of Matthews' 
issued in 1539. Cranmer's, or the Great 
Bibl^ was simply a new edition of Mat- 
thews', issued under the sanction of and 
with a preface by, Cranmer, also in 1539. 
The Genevan New Testament, 1557, and 
Genevan Bible, 1560, were made by Enghsh 
refugees at Geneva, during the persecution 
under the English queen, Mary, who was a 
Roman Cathohc. It was the first complete 
English translation from the original He- 
brew and Greek texts, and the first Enghsh 
Bible divided into modem chapters and 
verses. The Bishops' Bible, 1568-1572, 
a revision of the Great Bible, made by 15 
scholars, eight of whom were bishops. The 
Rheims, New Testament, 1609, and Douai 
Bible, 1610, made by Roman CathoUc 
scholars at Douai. The King James', or so- 
called Authorised Version, made from the 
Hebrew and Greek by 47 scholars, under 
sanction of James n., king of England, 1611. 
The Anglo-American revised Bible, New 
Testament, 1881, Old Testament, 1885. This 
is a revision of the so-called A. V. made by 
a company of 67 British and 34 American 
scholars appointed by a Committee of the 
Church of England, through the Convoca- 
tion of Canterbury, in 1870. 

Evidences of Scripture.— Concermng the 
evidences, external and internal, of the 
truth of Scripture, it may briefly be said 
that no books have been subjected to such 
severe critical examination into everj' state- 
ment, and clause, and particular, as the 
Bible, and never have the arguments for 
its integrity and authority been as strong 
as they are to-day. The fulfillment of 
ptrophecy, the minute accuracy of descrip- 
tions, formerly supposed to be inaccurate, 
but which later and more thorough re- 
searches have found to be true, sustain the 
historic verity of the Scriptures. For in- 
stance, a searching examination of Paul's 
shipwreck has proved it to be minutely 
accurate. The explorations made of late 
years in Nineveh and Babylon, Egypt and 
Palestine, have tended to confirm the cred- 
ibilitv of Scripture in many hitherto dis- 
puted points. It is true that we must receive 
the evidence so produced with care. In- 
scriptions and monumental records are 
more likely to exaggerate the successes than 
to chronicle the disasters of the people by 
whom they were made. We could not 
reasonably expect to find in Egyptian mon- 
uments any detail of the judgraents which 
forced the release of Israel Neither was it 
likely that Sennacherib would record the 
fatal overthrow of his vast army at Jerusa- 
lem, But much information has been ob- 

192 



I tained by incidental notices. Thus it had 
■ been questioned whether such a king as 
I Nebuchadnezzar ever reigned. His name, 
I it was said, did not appear in Herodotus ; 
' and objectors, if they did not deny the ex- 
istence of the conqueror, at least insinuated 
that a petty satrap had been magnified into 
a great king. But now bricks in abundance 
have been found inscribed with Nebuchad- 
nezzar's name, proving that he had built 
and adorned a magnificent capital, Dan. 
4 : 30. Yet more serious doubt was ex- 
pressed in regard to Belshazzar ; and con- 
sequently the narrative of his feast and the 
awful sign which interrupted it was pro- 
nounced a fable. But it is now distinctlj'^ 
proved by the discovery of unquestionable 
records that a sovereign of that name was 
associated in power with his father during 
the last days of Babylon's indei)endence. 
These instances could' be multiplied many 
times, from the discoveries at Tanis, La- 
chish, Nineveh, Memphis, and from the 
recoverj' of inscriptions and letters, and 
from the mummies of the Pharaohs, of 
priests, and princes, almost without num- 
ber. The results of Christianity, its effects 
on individuals, famihes, nations; its won- 
derful missions, are an unanswerable proof 
of the verity of this one Book, the Bible. 
The Scriptiu-es are the only written revela- 
tion of God, and the only authoritatiAe 
record of his plan of salvation. The Old 
Testament was given specially at first to 
the Jews, and the New Testament to the 
disciples of Christ. The Old Testament is 
fulfilled in the New. There are not less 
than 265 direct quotations from the Old 
Testament in the New, and 350 further al- 
lusions in the New Testament to the Old 
Testament, which imply that the latter was 
the word of God. Again and again Christ 
and his apostles cited and approved of the 
Old Testament as the truth of God, and the 
New Testament expressly declares: "All 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
for correction, for instruction in righteous- 
ness : that the man of God may be perfect, 
thoroughlv furnished unto aU. good works." 
2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17, A. Y. (The R. V, modifies, 
but on the whole rather strengthens this, as 
a proof text on the subject.) God's word is 
not to be diminished, or added to, see 
Deut. 4:2: 12 : 32 ; Rev. 22 : 19 ; nor is God's 
plan of salvation to be modified : " If any 
man preach any other gospel unto you . . . 
let him be accursed." Gal. 1 : 9. The Scrip- 
tures from the beginning to their end point 
to and reveal the Uving " Word madeflesh," 
even the Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal 
life in him. John 1:1-14; Col. 1:12-20; 
Heb. 1 : 1-3. From the [Mosaic book of Deu- 
teronomy in the Old Testament Jesus quoted 
texts to withstand the awful conflict m the 
temptations of the devil. Matt. 4 : 4, It was 
from the Old Testament books that Jesus 
talked on theway to Emmaus with two disci- 
ples, " beginning at Moses and all the proph- 
ets, he exjKtunded unto them in all the Scrip- 
tures the things concerning himself." Luke 
24 : 27. These scriptures are sufficient to 
guide and persuade any who will be reason- 



SCYTHIAN 



OF THE BIBLE. 



SEIR 



ably persuaded to salvation. When the 
rich man in torment plead with Abraham 
for his five brethren, saying ; " If one went 
unto them from the dead, they will re- 
pent," the answer was, " If they hear not 
Moses and the prophets, neither will they 
be persuaded, though one rose from the 
dead." Luke 16 : 30, 31. They make a fatal 
mistake who do not so study the Bible as to 
find Christ in it from beginning to end, a 
personal Saviour through whom comes 
eternal, spiritual hfe. 

Oirculation of the Bible. —The following 
statements are from Rice's Oar Sixty-six Sa- 
cred Books : The Bible and portions of the 
Scriptures are printed in 367 versions and 
287 dialects, according to the American 
Bible Society reports (founded 1816). The 
reports of the British and Foreign Bible 
Society (founded 1804) show that over 60 
new versions of the Bible were added to 
its list in eleven years, and that the Scrip- 
tures are now pubhshed in 510 versions in 
upwards of 300 languages. A conservative 
estimate is that the Bible, or portions, are 
now issued in 390 languages and dialects 
by the Bible and mission societies and pri- 
vate publishers of the world. It is com- 
puted that 60,000 copies of the gospels were 
circulated among Christians before the end 
of the second century after Christ. Over 
100,000 copies of Luther's German vereion 
were sold within 40 years of its issue. Be- 
tween 1524 and 1611 not less than 278 edi- 
tions of English Bibles and Testaments 
were printed. In the first 15 years of this 
century private publishers in America is- 
sued 134 editions of the Bible and 65 of the 
New Testament. Not less than 1000 edi- 
tions, some having a very large circulation, 
were issued in the first 65 years of this cen- 
tury in America alone. The total circula- 
tion of the Scriptures and portions, for the 
nineteenth century, is placed at 300,000,000 
copies. Never was the annual circulation 
greater than now. Bible and mission soci- 
eties of the world circulate yearly about 
6,500,000 copies, and private pubhshers swell 
this number to more than 10,000,000 annu- 
ally. The copies of the Scriptures circu- 
lated in heathen lands, in this century, are 
believed to exceed m number all that there 
were in the world from Moses to Martin 
Luther. "This word of God has held a 
thousand nations for thrice a thousand 
years spell-bound," says F. W. Robertson, 
•■' held them by an abiding power, even the 
universality of its truth," "Blessed are" 
thev . . " who walk In the law of the 
Lord." Ps. 119:L 

Scythian {sUh'i-an). Wandering tribe 
or tribes north of the Black and Caspian 
Seas. Col. 3 : 11. 

Sea. "The Hebrew word yam, or " sea," 
is used in Scripture ; 1. For the " gathering 
of waters," or the ocean. Gen. 1:2, 10 : 
Deut. 30:13. 2. As referring to the Medi- 
terranean Sea, under the title of the 
"hinder," the "western," the "utmost," 
sea, or the "sea of the Philistines," the 
"great sea," or simply "the sea." Deut. 
11 : 24 ; 34 : 2 : Joel 2 : 20 ; Ex. 23 : 31 ; Num. 
34 : 6, 7 ; Josh. 15 : 47 ; Gen. 49 : 13; Ps. 80 ; 



11 ; 107 : 23 ; 1 Kings 4 : 20. 3. As referring 
to the Red Sea. Ex. 15 : 4. 4. As referring 
to inland lakes, hke the Salt or Dead Sea. 
5. To any great collection of waters, as the 
Nile or the Euphrates in time of a flood or 
high water. Isa. 19 : 5; Amos 8 :8, A. V., 
" flood ; " Nah. 3:8; Ezek. 32 : 2 ; Jer. 51 : 
36. 

Sea of Clxinnereth {kin'ne-rtth). Num. 
34 : 11. See Galilee, Sea of. 

Sea of Jazer {ja'zer). Jer. 48 : 32. See 
Jazer. 

Sea of Tiberias (ti-hefri-as). John 21*. 
1. See Galilee, Sea of. 

Sea, the Molten, or Brazen. 
The name of the large copper or bronze 
laver made by Solomon for the temple, 
and which stood upon twelve metal oxen 
in the southeast corner of the court of the 
priests. It is described in 1 Kings 7 : 23-26. 
It was 73^ feet high, 15 feet in diameter, 
aud 45 feet in circimiference, and contained 
16,000 gallons— 2 Chron. 4 : 5 says 24,000 gal- 
lons. Solomon made it of the copper cap- 
tured from Tibhath and Chun, cities of 
Hadarezer, king of Zobah. 1 Chron. 18 : 8. 
Ahaz took down the sea from off the brazen 
oxen and put it upon a pavement of stones. 
2 Kings 16 : 17. The Assyrians broke it in 
pieces. 2 Kings 25 : 13. 

Sea, tlie Salt. Gen. 14:3. See Salt 
Sea. 

Seal. Among seals used in Egypt at a 
very early period were engraved stones, 
pierced through their length and hung by 
a string or chain from the arm or neck, or 
set in rings for the finger. The most an- 
cient form used for this purpose was the 
scarabseus (beetle), formed of precious or 
common stone, or even of blue i)ottery or 
porcelain, on the flat side of which some 
inscription or device was engraved. In 
many cases the seal consisted of a lump of 
clay, impressed with the seal and attached 
to the document by strings. In seaUng a 
sepulchre the fastening was covered with 
clay or wax, and the seal was stamped 
upon it, so that it could not be broken open 
without discovery. The signet-ring was 
an ordinary part of a man's equipment. 
Gen. 38 : 18. The ring or the seal as an em- 
blem of authority in Egypt, Persia, and 
elsewhere is mentioned in Gen. 41 : 42 ; 1 
Kings 21 : 8 ; Esther 3 : 10, 12 ; 8 : 2 : Dan. 6 : 
17 ; and as an evidence of a covenant, in 
Jer. 32 : 10, 44 ; Neh. 9: 38-, 10:1; Hag. 2: 
23. Engraved signets were in use among 
the Hebrews in early times. Ex. 28 : 11, 
36 : 39 : 6. 

S e b a (se'bah), man f A wealthy and 
commercial region of Ethiopia. Ps. 72 : 10 ; 
Isa. 43 : 3 ; 45 : 14. Seba appears to have 
corresponded to the northern portion of 
Abyssinia. Its inhabitants are mentioned 
with Sheba, Ps. 72 : 10, the trading people 
of the other side of the Red Sea. The in- 
habitants of both Sheba and Seba were 
called Sabseans by Greek and Latin writers, 
but the Hebrew words are distinct. 

Seir {se'ir). 1. Mount Seir, Gen. 14 : 6, 
or land of Seir, Gen. 32 : 3 ; 36 : 30, the moun- 
tainous region lying north of the eastern 
gulf of the Red Sea. Deut. 2 : 1-S. The 

193 



SELA OR SELAH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



SERVANT 



rugged appearance of the tract as viewed 
from the mountain generally recognized as 
Mount Hor, the central and highest peak, 
4800 feet high, justifies its name. See Idu- 
lusea. 2. Mount Seir, Josh. 15 : 10, was a 
landmark on the northern boundary of 
Judah, between Kirjath-jearim and Beth- 
shemesh. 

Sela or Selah {seflah), the rock, and 
named Joktheel. 2 Kings 14 : 7 ; Isa. 16 : 
1. Rendered "rock" in Judges 1:36; 2 
Chron. 25 : 12. Probably the city later 
known as Petra, the ruins of which are 
found about two days' journey north of the 
Gulf of Akabah. It was in the midst of 
Mount Seir, in the neighborhood of Mount 
Hor, and therefore Edomite territorj^ About 
70 B. c. Petra appears as the residence of 
the Arab princes named Aretas. Trajan re- 
duced it to subjection to the Roman em- 
pire. Petra lay, though at a high level, in 
a hollow three-quarters of a mile long and 
from 800 to 1500 feet wide, shut in by moun- 
tain cliffs, and approached only by a nar- 
row ravine, through which the river winds. 
There are extensive ruins at Petra of Ro- 
inan date. 

Selah.. This Hebrew musical term, 
which occurs 73 times in the Psalms, and 
elsewhere only in Hab. 3:3, 9, 13, is sup- 
posed to be connected with the use of the 
temple music. 

Seleucia {se-leu'shl-ah ; Lat. sB'eu-sl'a). 
Acts 13 : 4 ; 14 : 26. The seaport of Antioch, 
and the place at Avhich Paul and Barnabas 
embarked, and to which they returned on 
their first missionary journey. It was on 
the Mediterranean, about five miles north 
of the river Orontes, and was foimded by 
Seleucus Nicator, died b. c. 280. 

Sennacherib {sen-nak'e-rlby or shi-na-ke/- 
rih), sin, the moon, increases brothers, was 
the son and successor of Sargon. In the 
third year of his reign, b. c. 700, Sennacherib 
turned his arms toward the west, attacked 
Sidon, and finally marched against Heze- 
kiah, king of Judah. " Sennacherib came 
up against all the fenced cities of Judah, 
and took them." 2 Kings 18: 13. There can 
be no doubt that the record which he has 
left of his campaign against " Hiskiah " in 
his third year is the war with Hezekiah so 
briefly touched in 2 Kings 18 : 13-16. In the 
following year. b. c. 699, Sennacherib made 
hig second expedition into Palestine. Hez- 
ekiah had revolted, and claimed the pro- 
tection of Egypt. Sennacherib therefore 
attacked Egypt, and from his camp at La- 
chish and Libnah he sent an insulting let- 
ter to Hezekiah at Jerusalem. 2 Kings 19 : 
14. In answer to Hezekiah's prayer the 
Assyrians lost, in a single night, by some 
awful manifestation of divine power, 185,- 
000 men ! The camp immediately broke 
up ; the king fled. 2 Kings 19 : 35-37. Sen- 
nacherib reached his capital in safety, en- 
gaged in other wars, though he seems to 
have carefully avoided Palestine, and was 
slain by two of his sons, 15 or 20 years 
after his flight from Jerusalem. Isa. 37 : 38. 
He reigned 22 years, and was succeeded by 
Esar-haddon, b. c. 680. Sennacherib was 
one of the most magnificent of the Assyjian 
194 



kings. He seems to have been the first who 
fixed the seat of government permanently 
at Nineveh, which he carefully repaired 
and adorned with palaces and splendid 
buildings. 

Seraphim, princes. The name ^ven by 
Isaiah to the spirits waiting on the Lord, and 
which are apparently the most exalted of 
the angelic host. Isa. 6 ; 2, 6. 

Sergius Paulus {ser'ji-Hs pau'lus), pro- 
consul of Cyprus. Acts 13 : 7, etc. a. d. 44. 
He is described as an intelligent man, and 
yielded to the claims of the gospel. 

Serpent. The serpent is a creature dis- 
tinguished for its subtility. Gen. 3 : 1, and 
wisdom in avoiding danger. Matt. 10 : 16, as 
well as for the instinctive dread which it 
inspires in man and most animals. About 
one-sixth of all the species known are ven- 
omous. The devil is called " the serpent " 
and "the old serpent," Rev. 12:9, 14, 15, 
probably in allusion. to his subtihty and 
maUce, and also to the fact that in tempting 
our first parents to disobey God he employed 
a serpent or assumed the form of one. 2 
Cor. 11 : 3. We frequently find references 
in Scriptm-e to serpent-charming. Ps. 58 : 4, 
5 ; Eccles. 10 : 11 ; Jer. 8 : 17 ; James 3 : 7. 
This practice is still common in the east. 
Serpent-charmers carry enormous snakes, 
generally black, about them, allow them to 
crawl all over their persons and into their 
bosoms — always, however, with certain pre- 
cautions, either necessarj"^ or pretended to 
be so. They repeatedly breathe strongly 
into the face of the serpent, and occasion- 
ally blow spittle or some medicated com- 
position upon them. In Ps. 58 : 4. 5, 6, 
there is evidently an allusion to certain 
kinds of serpents which cannot be charmed. 
Such serpents there still are, which the 
charmer cannot subdue ; and instances are 
related in which they have fallen victims 
to their daring attempts. When God pun- 
ished the murmurs of the Israelites in the 
wilderness by sending among them serpents 
whose fiery bite was fatal, Moses, upon their 
repentance, was commanded to make a ser- 

Kent of brass, whose polished surface shone 
ke fire, and to set it up on the banner- 
pole in the midst of the people ; and who- 
ever was bitten by a serpent had but to 
look up at it and live. Num. 21 : 4-9. This 
brazen serpent was a type of Christ : "As 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- 
ness, even so must the Son of man be hfted 
up, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have eternal life." John 3 : 
14, 15. To present the serpent form, as de- 
prived of its power to hurt, impaled as the 
trophy of a conqueror, was to assert that 
evil, physical and spiritual, had been over- 
come, and thus help to strengthen the weak 
faith of the Israelites in a victory over 
both. The "fiery flying serpent" of Isa. 
30:6 has no relation to the "fiery" or 
" burning serpents " of Num. 21 : 6, 8, The 
latter were so called from the "fiery " or 
burning nature of their bite or sting. 

Servant. This word is frequently used 
in our version of both Testaments, 'when 
"slave" would have been much more fit- 
ting. Joshua was Moses' attendant, Ex. 24: 



SEVEN 



OF THE BIBLE. 



SHAKON 



13 ; 33 : 11— clerk or secretary we might in 
modern language say— it being understood 
that the designation in the last-named pas- 
sage does not define Joshua's age. But the 
words 'ebed, implying "laborer" in He- 
brew, and doulos in Greek, are spoken of 
slaves. It does not at all follow, because 
the Mosaic law and the Christian dispensa- 
tion found slavery existing in the world, 
and made regulations for it, that God ap- 
proved the system of one man's holding 
another as his property. Laws have to 
deal with persons as they are, in order to 
make them what they ought to be. The 
kidnapping or unlawful stealing of men for 
slavery was branded as a capital crime. 
Ex. 21 : 16 ; Deut. 21 : 7 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 10. 
Slaves among the Hebrews were of two 
general classes : I. Hebrews ; II. Non-He- 
brews. I. Hebrews. There were three ways 
by which a Hebrew might become a slave : 
1.' Poverty. He might sell himself in de- 
fault of payment of debt. Lev. 25 : 39. 2. 
Theft. When he could not pay the amount 
required. Ex. 22 : 1, 3. According to Jose- 
phus, he could only be sold to a Hebrew. 
3. Parents could sell their daughters as 
maid-servants, but they were ultimately to 
be their masters' concubines. Ex. 21 : 7. 
There were three ways by which the servi- 
tude might end : 1. When the debt or other 
obligation was met. 2. When the year 
of Jubilee had come. Lev. 25 : 40. 3. At 
the conclusion of six years of service. Ex. 
21 : 2 ; Deut. 15 : 12. Indeed no servitude 
could last longer than six years. The 
owner was expressly forbidden to "rule 
over him with rigor." Lev. 25 : 43. Nor 
was he suffered to go away empty, but must 
be furnished Uberally out of the flock, out 
of the floor, and out of the wine-press. 
Deut. 15 : 14. A slave might even marry a 
daughter of his master. 1 Chron. 2 : 35. In 
the case of a female Hebrew slave, there 
was not the release at the end of six years : 
but if marriage with the owner or his son 
did not take place, she was not to be sold 
to a foreigner, but " he shall cause her to be 
redeemed," i. e., he should return her to 
her father or find her another Hebrew mas- 
ter, or else free her absolutely. Ex. 21 : 7- 
11. When Hebrews became the slaves of 
non-Hebrews, they might be redeemed or 
redeem themselves, or else go free at the 
year of Jubilee. Jewish Hebrew slavery 
terminated at the captivity. II. Non-He- 
brews. They were mostly captives made 
in war from the neighboring tribes, but be- 
sides were purchased of dealers. Lev. 25 : 
45 ; Gen. 14 : 14 ; Eccl. 2 : 7. This sort of 
slavery survived the captivity, but was op- 
posed by the Pharisees. Thirty shekels 
seems to have been the average price of a 
slave. Ex. 21 : 32. Slaves were protected 
against violence ; for if they lost an eye or 
a tooth from rough handling they got their 
liberty. Ex. 21 : 26, 27. To kill one was 
murder. Lev. 24 : 17, 22. They had full re- 
ligious privileges, since they were circum- 
cised. Gen. 17 : 12. 

Seven. Among the Hebrews this was 
a kind of complete or sacred number. It 
was noted also among the Persians, arj- 



cient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The 
pecuharity of the Hebrew view consists in 
the special dignity of the seventh, and not 
simply in that of seven. The Sabbath being 
the seventh day suggested the adoption of 
seven as the coefficient, so to say, for the 
appointment of all sacred periods, and we 
thus find the seventh month ushered in by 
the Feast ofTrumpets, and signalized by the 
celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles 
and the Great Day of Atonement ; seven 
weeks as the interval between the Passover 
and the Pentecost ; the seventh year as the 
sabbatical year; and the year succeeding 
7X7 years as the Jubilee year. Seven days 
were appointed as the length of the feasts 
of Passover and Tabernacles ; seven days 
for the ceremonies of the consecration of 
priests, and so on ; seven victims to be of- 
fered on any special occasion, as in Baal- 
am's sacrifice, Num. 23 : 1, and especially 
at the ratification of a treaty, the notion 
of seven being embodied in the very term 
signifying to swear, literally meaning to do 
seven times. Gen. 21 : 28. As to the reason 
of the fact, three is the signature of God, 
in the ever-blessed Trinity ; four of the 
world — four elements, four seasons, four 
winds, etc., etc. There are reasons, then, 
amply suflficient, why seven, being thus, as 
it is, made up of three and four, should 
be itself the signature of the covenant. 
No mere accident or caprice dictated the 
selection of it. Seven is used for any round 
number, or for completeness, as we say a 
dozen, or as a speaker says he will say two 
or three words. Notice, the animals went 
into the ark by sevens ; the years of plenty 
and famine were marked by sevens, Gen. 
7:2; 41 : 2, 3 ; the golden candlestick had 
seven branches, and there were "seven 
stai-s " and seven churches. Rev. 1 : 20 ; 2 : 
1. In the same book we read of seven spir- 
its, seven' seals, seven trumpets, seven 
thunders, seven vials, seven plagues, and 
seven angels. Rev. 8:1; 15 : 1. 

Shadracli (shd'drak). See Abednego. 

Shalluxa (shdl'lum), retribution. The 
murderer of Zachariah, king of Israel. He 
usurped the crown, but was slain by Mena- 
hem at the end of the first month of his 
reign, b. c. 771. 2 Kings 15 : 10-15. 

Shalmaneser {shdl-ma-nefzer), Salman is 

fracious. A king of Assyria, b. c. 727-722. 
loshea, king of Israel, had revolted, but 
was conquered by Shalmaneser. 2 Kings 
17 : 3. Hoshea revolted a second time and 
allied himself with So, king of Egypt, and 
Shalmaneser returned, ravaged Samaria, 
besieged Hoshea, and after three years Sa- 
maria fell. But meantime a rebellion 
headed by Sargon had broken out in As- 
syria, and Shalmaneser was deposed. It is 
not stated in 2 Kings 17 : 6 that Shalmaneser 
took Samaria, but that the king of Assyria 
did, probably Sargon. 

Sharon {shdr'on), the plain. 1. A district 
in Palestine lying upon the seacoast. It 
extended from Joppa to Csesarea (whence 
it is frequently in Scripture coupled with 
Carmel), and from the central hills to the 
Mediterranean. It was a region well 
adapted for pasture, 1 Chron. 27 : 29 : Isa. 

195 



SHEBA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



SHEWBREAD 



65 : 10, very fertile, Isa. 33 : 9 ; 35 : 2, and 
celebrated for its roses. Song of Sol. 2 : 1. 
Its locality is further indicated as being in 
the neighborhood of Lydda, Acts 9 : 35, 
where it is called Saron, A. V., but Sharon 
inR. V. 

Sheba (she'ba), seven or an oath. 1. A 
wealthy region in Arabia bordering on the 
Red Sea. The queen of Sheba visited Sol- 
omon, coming "to Jerusalem with a very 
great train, with camels that bear spices, 
and very much gold, and precious stones." 
1 Kings 10 : 1-13 ; 2 Chron. 9 : 1-12, Many 
ancient writers noted the abundance of 
spices in the Yemen or Sabsean country. 
Strabo asserts that the enormous profits of 
the spice trade made the Sabaeans one of 
the wealthiest nations on the face of the 
earth. They used gold and silver most 
lavishly in their furniture, their utensils, 
and even on the doors and roofs of their 
houses. 2. A town in Simeon, mentioned 
between Beer-sheba and Moladah. Josh. 
19 : 2. Shema is named next to Moladah 
in Josh. 15 : 26, and is probably identical 
with this Sheba. 

S h e c li e m {she'kem), shoulder. Gen. 
85 : 4. A town in the valley between 
Mounts Ebal and Gerizim ; called also 
Sichem, Sychem, Sychar. Neapohs, and 
now Nablfis, were successively on or near 
the site of Shechem. It was 34 miles north 
of Jerusalem, about seven miles southeast 
of Samaria, and its site is unrivalled for 
beauty in Palestine. Two mountains par- 
allel to each other, Ebal and Gerizim, al- 
most meeting at their bases and only a mile 
and a half apart at their summits, enclose 
a beautiful httle valley extending east and 
west, not more than a hundred yards wide 
at the narrowest part, and widening out in 
both directions. The city is mentioned 48 
times in the Bible. Its history -begins 4000 
years ago, before Jerusalem was founded, 
and extends through Scripture from Abra- 
ham to Christ. Jesus visited the region, 
preached to a woman at Jacob's well, and 
many from Sychar beUeved on him. John 
4 : 5, 39-42. Whether Sychar occupied pre- 
cisely the same site as ancient Shechem 
has been a question in dispute among schol- 
ars. Dr, Thomson describes the situation 
thus : " Nothing in Palestine surpasses (the 
vale) in fertiUty and natural beauty ; and 
this is mainly due to the fine mill-stream 
which flows through it. The whole coun- 
try is thickly studded with villages, the 
plains clothed with grass or grain^ and the 
rounded hills with orchards of ohve, fig, 
pomegranate, and other trees. . . Nablfis 
is a queer old place. The streets are nar- 
row and vaulted over ; and in the winter- 
time it is difllcult to pass along many of 
them on account of brooks, which rush 
over the pavement with deafening roar. 
In this respect I know no city with which 
to compare it except Brusa ; and, like that 
city, it has mulberry, orange, pomegranate, 
and other trees mingled in with the houses, 
whose odoriferous flowers load the air with 
delicious perfume during the months of 
April and May. Here the bilbUl delights 
to sit and sing, and thousands of other Hrds 

19§ 



unite to swell the chorus. See Samari- 
tans. 

Slieep, Sheplierd. Gen. 4 : 2 ; 46 : 32. 
Sheep were used in the sacrificial offerings, 
both the adult animal, Ex, 20 : 24, and the 
lamb. Ex. 29 : 38 ; Lev. 9:3; 1^2 : 6. Sheep 
and lambs formed an important article of 
food. 1 Sam. 25 : 18. The wool was used 
as clothing. Lev. 13 : 47. " Rams' skins dyed 
red " were used as a covering for the taber- 
nacle. Ex. 25 : 5. Sheep and lambs were 
sometimes paid as tribute. 2 Kings 3 : 4. 
Sheep-shearing is alluded to. Gen. 31 : 19. 
Sheep-dogs were employedinbibhcal times. 
Job 30 : 1. Shepherds in Palestine and the 
East generally go before their flocks, calling 
to them, and the sheep follow ; comp. 
John 10 : 4 ; Ps. 77 : 20 ; 80 : 1, though they 
also drive them. Gen. 33 : 13. Rev. John 
Hartley gives an illustration of John 10 : 1- 
16 : " Having had my attention directed to 
John 10 : 3, 1 asked a shepherd to call one 
of his sheep. He did so, and it instantly 
left its pastmrage and its companions and 
ran up to the hands of the shepherd with 
signs of pleasure and with a prompt obe- 
dience which I had never before observed 
in any other animal. It is also true in this 
countrj' that ' a stranger will they not fol- 
low, but will flee from him.' " The com- 
mon sheep of Syria and Palestine are the 
broad-tailed, which, when fe-ttened, have 
tails of an enormous size, "I have seen 
many in Lebanon so heavy," says Dr. 
Thomson, "that the owners could not 
carry them without difficulty. . . The 
cooks use this mass of fat instead of Arab 
butter. . . . This is the ' rump ' so often 
mentioned in the Levitical sacrifices, which 
was to be taken off hard bv the backbone. 
Ex. 29 : 22 ; Lev. 3 : 9 ; 7 :3 ; 9 : 19. It is, in 
fact, not property a tail, but a mass of mar- 
row-hke fat, which spreads over the whole 
rump of the sheep, and down the caudal 
extremity, till near the end." The shear- 
ing of the sheep was celebrated anciently, 
as often now, with much festivity. Gen, 
31 : 19 ; 38 : 12, 13 ; 1 Sam, 25 ; 4^8, 36 ; 2 
Sam, 13; 23-28, 

Shekel, Gen. 24 : 22 ; Ex. 30 : 13, means 
" weight," and was the name of a particular 
weight of uncoined gold or silver, and in 
later history of a silver coin worth about 
65 cents. See Money, Measures and 
"Weights. 

Shem {shim), name. The eldest son of 
Noah. His conduct toward his father on 
one occasion is noted with praise. Gen. 9 : 
20-27. The Jews are his descendants, and, 
besides, there are the Aramseans, Persians, 
Assyrians, and Arabians. The languages 
spoken by the descendants of Shem — the 
Hebrew, Chaldee, Assyrian, and Arabic — 
are called Semitic languages. 

Shewbread. Ex. 25 : 30. Unleavened 
bread offered every Sabbath on the golden 
table in the holy place, made into twelve 
cakes, according to the twelve tribes of Is- 
rael, and placed in two piles or rows. The 
old cakes remained till replaced bj'^the new, 
and hence the name " continual bread." 
Num. 4:7; Lev. 24 : 8. As a general rule 
the old could be eaten by the priests alonoi 



gHlBBOLETS 



OF THE BTSLR 



SILOAS 



ajid by them only in the court of the sanc- 
tuary, 1 Sara. 21 : 1-6 ; Matt. 12 : 3. 

Shibboleth {shlb'bo-lSth), stream. A 
word which the Gileadites required the fu- 
gitive Ephraimites to speak, in order to de- 
tect by their pronunciation whether or no 
they were really of that tribe. Judg. 12 : 4- 
6. The variations of dialect in the spoken 
language of Palestine made it difficult for 
the Ephraimites to speak it. 

ShUoh (shl'loh). 1. The word " Shiloh," as 
used in Gen. 49 : 10, has given rise to much 
discussion. Some consider it as referring 
to the town ; others apply it to the Messiah. 

2. A city of Ephraim, north of Bethel, and 
where the tabernacle was set up. Josh. 18 : 1. 
It was thus the sacred capital where solemn 
assembUes were held, Josh. 18 : 8-10 ; 19 : 5] ; 
21 : 2 ; 22 : 12 ; not, however, to the entire 
exclusion of other places. Josh. 24 : 1, 25, 
26. Through the period of the judges' ad- 
ministration the tabernacle seems to have 
remained at Shiloh. Judg. 18 : 31 ; 21 : 12, 
19, 21. It was there in the priesthood of 
Eli. Samuel was there called to be a 
prophet. 1 Sam. 1 : 3, 9, 24 ; 2 : 14 ; 3 : 21 ; 4 : 

3, 4, 12 ; 1 Kings 2 : 27. After the ark of 
God had been taken by the Philistines we 
do not find that it was ever restored to the 
tabernacle at Shiloh. It was sometimes 
with the army, 1 Sam. 14 : 18 ; but its rest- 
ing-place was with Abinadab at Kirjath- 
iearim. 1 Sam. 7 : 1, 2. And then we hear 
little more of Shiloh ; the tabernacle itself 
was removed, 2 Chron. 1:3; and Jerusa- 
lem became ultimately the city which the 
Lord chose, to place his name there. 

Shiraei {shlm'e-l), famous. The name of 
14 or more Hebrews, of whom the two fol- 
lowing may be described. 1. A son of Ger- 
shon the son of Levi, Num. 3 : 18 ; 1 Chron. 
6 : 17, 42 ; 23 : 7, 9, 10 ; called Shimi, Ex. 6 : 
17, A. V. It is to his descendants, probably, 
that reference is made in Zech. 12 : 13 ; 
comp. Num. 3 : 21. 2. The son of Gera, a 
Benjamite and a kinsman of Saul, who in- 
sulted king David when fleeing before Ab- 
salom, and humbled himself on David's 
return. Shimei gave his parole never to 
leave Jerusalem, but broke it by pursuing 
his fugitive servants to Gath, and was put 
to death on returning. 2 Sam. 16 : 5-14 ; 
19 : 16-23 ; 1 Kings 2 : 8. 9, 36-46. 

Shinar {shl'nar), the Land of, casting 
out 1 country of two rivers f The region 
where the people, after the Flood, made 
bricks and used sUme (bitumen) for mortar. 
Gen. 11 : 2, 3. It would seem originally to 
have denoted the northern part of Bab- 
ylonia, as " Chaldaea " denoted the south- 
ern part ; but subsequently, like Chaldaea, 
it was sometimes usea for the whole. Gen. 
10 : 10 ; Isa. 11 : 11 ; Dan. 1:2; Zech. 5 : 11. 
In Josh. 7 : 21 it is rendered " Babylonish." 
Among its cities were Babel (Babylon), 
Erech or Orech (Orchoi), Calneh or Calno 
(probably Niffer). and Accad. 

Shishak (shl-shdk). King of Egypt, 
known as Sheshonk I. The first year of 
Shishak would about correspond to the 26th 
of Solomon, B. c. 989, and the 20th of Shi- 
shak to the 5th of Rehoboam. Shishak at 
the beginning of his reign received the 
13 



fugitive Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11: 40; and it 
was probably at the instigation of Jeroboam 
that he attacked Rehoboam. 

Shittim (shU'tlm), acacias. The scene of 
the sin witn the Midianites, and of its ter- 
rible punishment. Num. 25 ; 31 : 1-12 : the 
sending forth of the spies to Jericho ; and 
the final preparation before crossing the 
Jordan. Josh. 2. 

Shittim-vj^ood, from the shittah tree, 
Isa. 41 :19, A. V. ; the R. V. reads "acacia," 
was much used in constructing and fur- 
nishing the tabernacle. Ex. 25 : 5, 13, A. V. 
The only timber tree of any size now found 
in the Arabian desert is the seyal {Acacia 
seyal). 

Shunem (shic'nem), two resting-places. A 
city in the territory of Issachar. Josh. 19 ; 
18. The Phihstines encamped there before 
the great battle of Gilboa. 1 Sam. 28:4. 
David's nurse, Abishag, was of Shunem, 1 
Kings 1 : 3, and it was the residence of the 
Shunammite woman who entertained Eli- 
sha. 2 Kings 4:8. It answers to the mod- 
ern Sulem, on the southwestern slope of 
Little Hermon, about 53 miles north of Je- 
rusalem. 

Shushan {shu'shan), a lily. A celebrated 
city, called by the Greeks Susa, in the prov- 
ince of Elam. There are various accounts 
of its origin ; it must have existed at an 
early period. The site of Shushan has been 
identified with the modern Shush or Sus, 
between the river Choaspes (Kherkhah) and 
the Ulai (Eulseus). These are really two 
branches of the same river, which divides 
about 20 miles above Susa. Hence, Daniel 
might be standing on the "banks of the 
Ulai" arid also "between Ulai." Dan. 
8 : 2, 16. The site is nearly due east of 
Babylon and north of the Persian Gulf. 
The great central hall of the palace at 
Shushan was 343 feet long by 244 feet wide. 
The king's gate, where Mordecai sat, was 
probably a hall 100 feet square, 150 feet 
from the northern portico. Between these 
two was probably the inner court, where 
Esther appeared before the king. 

Siddim (sld'dim), a depression. The vale 
in which were " slime pits," near the plain 
whereon stood the cities of Sodom and 
Gomorrah. Gen. 14 : 3, 10 ; 19 : 28. See 
Sodom. 

Sidon. Gen. 10:15, A.V. See Zidon. 

Sihon (sl'hon), sweeping away. A king of 
the Amorites at Heshbon, who was slain, 
and his kingdom taken by the Hebrews. 
Num. 21 : 21-31 ; Deut. 2 : 26 ; Ps. 1:35 : 11, 12 ; 
Jer. 48 : 45. 

Silas {sl'las), Acts 15 : 40, contracted from 
Silvanus {sil-vd'nus), woody, 2 Cor. 1 : 19, is 
called one of the chief of the brethren. 
Acts 15 : 22, and a faithful brother. 1 Pet. 
5 : 12. He is supposed to have been a native 
of Antioch, and a member of the Christian 
church there. Acts 15 : 37-41. He was the 
associate of Paul in several of his mission- 
ary tours, and his fellow-prisoner at Phil- 
ippi. Acts 15 : 40 ; 16 : 25, 29 ; 17 : 4, 10, 15. 
He is called a prophet. Acts 15 : 32. 

Siloah {sUo'ah or sU'o-ah), R. V., "She- 
lah," Neh. 3 : 15 ; or Siloam, John 9 : 7, 11 ; 
or Shiloah. Isa. 8:6. A rivulet on the 

197 



SIMEON 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



SOLOMON 



southeast of Jerusalem, at the foot of Zion 
and Moriah ; supposed by some to be the 
same with En-rogel and Gihon. There 
were two pools, the upper, Isa. 7:3, or 
king's pool, Neh. 2 : 14, and the lower pool. 
Isa. 22 : 9. There was also a tower at Siloam. 
Luke 13 : 4. 

Simeon {s1m'e-on), a hearkening. 1. The 
second son of Jacob, born of Leah. Gen. 
29 : 33. He participated in the revenge of 
Levi against the Shechemites for the out- 
rage upon Dinah. Gen. 34 : 25, 30 ; 49 : 5-7. 
Before entering Canaan, the tribe of Simeon 
had become the lowest of the tribes in 
point of number. Num. 1 : 23 ; 26 : 14. To 
the Simeonites was assigned the territory 
in the southwest, with a number of towns, 
which had been allotted to Judah. Josh. 
19 : 1-9. An emigration from this tribe took 
place, at an early period, towards Gedor, 
and afterwards to Mount Seir. 1 Chron. 4 : 
24-43 ; Ezek. 48 : 24 ; Rev. 7:7. 2. One of 
the ancestors of Mary, Luke 3 : 30, A. V., but 
R. V. reads " Symeon." 3. An aged godly 
Jew residing at Jerusalem, who had been 
favored with a divine intimation that he 
should live to see the Lord's Christ. And 
being led by the Spirit, at the time when 
Jesus was presented by his mother at the 
temple, he recognized the infant as the ex- 
I)ected Messiah, and took him in his arms 
and blessed him, glorifying God. Luke 2 : 
25-35. 4. A Christian teacher at Antioch, sur- 
named Niger (black), evidently from his dark 
complexion. Acts 13:1, R.V. "Sj-meon." 

Simon (sl'mon), a hearing, contracted from 
Simeon, a sorcerer, who professed to be a 
convert to the Christian faith, and was bap- 
tized by Phihp at Samaria, but was severely 
rebuked by Peter as a hypocrite, because he 
desired to buy the gift of the Spirit. Acts 
8 : 9. Hence the buying and selling of ec- 
clesiastical rights, benefits, or privileges is 
called simony, a high offence against the 
purity and in'tegritv of the Christian faith. 

2. Simon Peter. Matt. 4 : 18. See Peter. 

3. Simon the Canaanite, Matt. 10 : 4, or Si- 
mon Zelotes, or the zealous, one of the 
twelve apostles ; was one of the party called 
Zealots, hence his name. The epithet " Ca- 
naanite " is properly " Kananite," the Chal- 
dee for "zeal," and" has no reference to lo- 
cality. 4. The brother of our Lord, Matt. 
13 : 55 ; Mark 6:3; not to be confounded 
■with the preceding, nor with SjTneon, who 
succeeded James as bishop of the church 
in Jerusalem. 5. A Pharisee. Luke 7 : 36, 
40. 6. A leper. Matt. 26 : 6. 7. The father 
of Judas Iscariot. John 6 : 71. 8. The man 
of Cyrene who was compelled to bear our 
Saviour's cross. Matt. 27 : 32 ; Mark 15 : 21 ; 
Luke 23 : 26. 9. The tanner at Joppa with 
whom Peter lodged. Acts 9 : 43. 

Sin, Wild erne ss of (s!?i). A region be- 
tween Ehra and Rephidim. Ex. 16 : 1 ; 17 : 
1 ; Num. 33 : 11, 12. -Here the Israehtes were 
first fed with manna and quails. The wil- 
derness extends 25 miles along the east 
shore of the Red Sea, from Wady Taiyibeh 
to Wady Feiran ; it is now called the plain 
of el-Mkrkha. It is barren, but has a little 
vegetation. 

Sinai {sl'ndi, or sVnai, or sl^na-i), broken 
198 



or cleft rocks f The name of a district, a 
range of mountains and a mountain peak. 
The district is in the peninsula lying be- 
tween the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of 
Akaba, and the mountains in the district 
are celebrated as the place where the Mo- 
saic law w^as given. Ex. 16 : 1 ; 19 : 2-25 
24 : 12, 18 ; 25 :40 ; 34 : 2-35 ; Lev. 7 : 38 ; 25 
1:26:46; 27:34: Deut. 33 : 2 ; Judg. 5:5 
Heb. 8:5; 12 : 18-21. The " peak " where 
the law was given is now generally believed 
to be identical with Ras Sufsafeh, the north- 
em portion of Jebel Musa. 

Slave. See Servant. 

Smyrna {smir'nah), myrrh. An ancient 
Ionian city on the western coast of Asia 
Minor. Rev. 1 : 1 1 ; 2:8. Smyrna has been 
repeatedly overthrown by earthquakes. 
Some few of the ruins of ancient Smyrna 
are still visible to the south of the modern 
city. The first cotton-seeds were conveyed 
to the United States from Smyrna, and 
planted in 1621. 

Sodom (sOd'om), burning f The principal 
city in a group of cities in the vale of Sid- 
dim, which were destroyed on account of 
the great wickedness of their inhabitants. 
Gen. 10 : 19 ; 13 : 3, 10-13 ; 19 : 1-29. The 
historj' of its great wickedness and its ter- 
rible punishment is given in Gen. 18 : 16- 
33 ; 19 : 1-29. Sodom is often held up as a 
warning to sinners to escape the terrible 
vengeance of God. Deut. 29 : 23 ; Isa. 1 
9, 10 ; 3:9; 13 : 19 ; Jer. 23 : 14 ; 49 : 18 
Ezek. 16 : 49, 50 ; Amos 4 : 11 ; Zeph. 2 : 9 
Matt. 10 : 15 ; 11 : 23, 24 ; 2 Pet. 2 : &-8 ; Rev 
11 : 8. There are only two ptossible locali- 
ties for these cities — the lower end of the 
lake, or the upper end of the same. Tra- 
dition, from the time of Josephus and Je- 
rome, has pointed to the southern site. 
The northern site has been strongly advo- 
cated by Grove, Tristram, Thomson, and 
others, and it is probably the true one, 
though the question is one which is unde- 
cided. 

Solomon {s6l'o-mon), pacific. The son of 
David by Bathsheba, and the third king 
of Israel 2 Sam. 12:24; 1 Chron. 22:9; 
Matt. 1:6; 1 Kings 2 : 12. He was also 
called the wisest of men, and Jedidiah = 
friend of Jehovah. 2 Sam. 12 : 24, 25 ; 1 
Kings 4 : 29, 30 ; 7 : 51 ; 10 : 1 ; 11 : 41-43 ; 2 
Chron. 9. David voluntarily resigned the 
government to Solomon, giving him at the 
same time a solemn charge respecting the 
administration of it. 1 Kings 2 : 1-11. Sol- 
omon was celebrated for his wealth, splen- 
dor, and wisdom. The great event of his 
reign, however, was the erection of the 
temple at Jerusalem. 1 Kings 5. Solomon 
also established a navy of ships at the port 
of Ezion-geber, on the Red Sea. 1 Kings 
9 : 26-28. Jerusalem, the capital of his vast 
dominions, became renowned for wealth 
and splendor. Matt. 6 : 29 ; 12 : 42 ; Acts 7 : 
47. His arbitrary exercise of the royal 
power, however, his numerous harem, the 
introduction of cavalry, the expenditure 
of the royal house, and his toleration of 
idolatry in the land of Jehovah, led him 
into weak and sinful indulgences. 1 Kings 
11 : 1-11 ; 12 : 1-4. The prosperity of hia 



SOLOMON, THE SONG OF OF THE BIBLE. 



STOICS 



reign was interrupted by disquiets in Edom 
and Syria ; and he was foretold of the re- 
volt of the ten tribes. Solomon died B.C. 975, 
after a reign of 40 years ; and, notwithstand- 
ing his glory, was httle lamented. 1 Kings 
11:11-43; 2 Chron. 9:31. He is said to 
have written 3000 proverbs, 1005 Songs, and 
much on natural history. 1 Kings 4 : 32, 33. 
Some of his proverbs and scngs probably 
exist in the Book of Proverbs, in Song of 
Solomon, and in the Psalms. The Acts of 
Solomon appears to have been a full his- 
tory of his reign. 1 Kings 11 : 41 ; 2 Chron. 
9 : 29. 

Soloxaon, the Song of. This book, 
called also Canticles, and according to its 
Hebrew appellation "the Song of Songs," 
always had a place in the Jewish canon, 
and has consequently been received into 
that of the Christian church. This book, 
according to its spiritual meaning, is un- 
derstood to deUneate the mutual love of 
God and his people, in which there are 
vicissitudes and trials, and backsUdings and 
repentance, and finally a perfect union be- 
twixt the Redeemer and his ransomed 
church. The same similitude, not indeed 
wrought out with such particularity, is to 
be found in other parts of Scripture. God 
frequently condescends to take the mar- 
riage-tie as illustrative of the close fellow- 
ship of himself with his chosen. Departure 
from him is spiritual adultery. His kind- 
ness is pre-eminent in receiving back the 
polluted one. And the last glorious tri- 
umph is called the marriage-supper of the 
Lamb, where the bride is presented pure 
and und^filed, every stain obliterated, re- 
splendent in glistening robes, the meet 
consort of a royal spouse. The idea is re- 
peated in both the Old and New Testa- 
ments. See, for example, Ps. 45 ; Isa. 54 : 
4-6 ; 62 : 4, 5 ; Jer. 2:2; 3 : 1, 20 ; Ezek. 16 ; 
Hos. 2 : 16, 19, 20 ; Matt. 9 : 15 ; John 3 : 29 ; 
2 Cor. 11 : 2 ; Eph. 5 : 23, 29, 30, 32 ; Rev. 19 : 
7-9 ; 21 : 2. Such passages as these show 
how familiarly the idea was used, even in 
prose composition; we need not be sur- 
prised to find it expanded in impassioned 
poetry. Another view is that the book pre- 
sents a picture of pure domestic love and 
happiness. 

Son of God. This title is continually 
gfiven to the Lord Jesus Christ, and as ap- 
propriated by him it is a full proof of his 
divinity. Luke 1 : 32 ; 22 : 70, 71 ; Rom. 1 : 
4. The title was applied to Adam, who 
had no human father. Luke 3 : 38. And 
there is a sense in which other men, as the 
creatures of God's hand, and still more as 
received into his reconciled family by 
adoption, may be called God's sons. Hos. 
1 : 10 ; John 1 : 12 ; Acts 17 : 28, 29 ; Rom. 8 : 
14 ; Gal. 3 : 26 ; 4 : 5-7 ; 1 John 3 : 1, 2. But 
it was evidently with a much higher mean- 
ing that our Lord is termed " The Son of 
God." For the Jews rightly judged that by 
the assumption of this title he laid claim 
to equality with God, and, regarding it as 
blasphemy, and a breach of the first com- 
mandment, they determined to put him to 
death. John 5 : 17, 18. In fact, it was on 
this charge that ultimately they con- 



demned him. And that it was not in the 
lower and common sense that Christ 
claimed God as his Father is evident from 
the fact that he did not correct the Jews' 
opinion; which most unquestionably he 
would have done, had they been under a 
mistake in supposing him to have broken 
the great commandment of the law. See 
Jesus Christ. 

Son of Man. Matt. 8 : -20. This title is 
given to our Saviour 80 times in the New 
Testament. See also Dan. 7 : 13. The Jews 
perfectly understood it to denote the Mes- 
siah. He calls himself not a son of man 
(among other children of men), but the Son 
of man (above all others) — the ideal, the 
universal, the perfect Man. So, on the 
other hand, he calls himself not a, but the. 
Son of God— the only-begotten and eternal 
Son of the Father. Comp. such passages 
as John 1 : 51 ; 3 : 13 ; 6 : 53 ; Matt. 9:6; 12 : 
8 ; Mark 2 : 10, 28. See Jesus Christ. 
The term son of man is appUed to Ezekiel 
and Daniel, meaning merelv "man," as it 
does in Num. 23 : 19 ; Job 25 : 6 ; Ps. 8 : 4, 
etc. 

Sosthenes (sds'the-nez), saviour o/ his na- 
tion. A Jew at Corinth who was seized and 
beaten in the presence of Gallio. Acts 18 : 
12-17. 

Spikenard (Heb. nerd). Song of Sol. 1 : 
12; 4 : 13. 14. The ointment with which 
our Lord was anointed in Simon's house at 
Bethany was this nerd, and was very costly. 
See Mark 14 : 3-5 ; John 12 : 3, 5. The oint- 
ment was made from an aromatic herb of 
the valerian family, imported from an 
early age from Arabia, India, and the Far 
East. 

Spirit. John 3 : 8. Both in Greek and 
Hebrew the word for this implies a "blow- 
ing" or "breathing;" its primary sense is 
"wind." In 2 Thess. 2:8 it is used for 
" breath ; " in Eccles. 8:8 for the vital 
principle ; while in other places it denotes 
the soul. Angels, both good and bad, souls 
without bodies, are thus designated. Matt. 
14 : 26 ; Luke 24 : 39. The incUnatiou is 
similarly expressed ; hence we have a 
spirit of grace and of supplication, Zech. 12 : 
10, a spirit of infirmity, Luke 13 : 11. See 
Holy Spirit. 

Stephen (ste'vn), a chaplet, crovm. One 
of the seven and the first martyr of the 
Christian church. Acts 6 : 5. After a noble 
defence, he was dragged without the city, 
where, while praying, he was stoned to 
death. Acts 6 : 11-15 ; 7 ; 8 : 2 ; 11 : 19 : 22 : 
20. 

Stoics (sto'lks). Acts 17 : 18. A sect of 
Grecian philosophers who derived their 
name from stoa, " a porch," because Zeno, 
their founder, in the fourth century before 
Christ, and succeeding leaders, used to 
teach in the painted porch or colonnade at 
Athens. In their phj'sical doctrines they 
maintained two first principles, the active 
and the passive ; the passive was matter ; 
the active was God, who was one, though 
called by many names. Of him they pan- 
theistically believed that all souls were 
emanations. They held the entire inde- 
pendence of man. The humbling doctrines 

199 



STONING 



PEOPLE'S PICTTOKAPV 



SYRACUSE 



of the cross, the preaching of Jesus, and 
the resurrection would, it is clear, be dis- 
tasteful to such philosophers. Acts 17 : 18. 
Epictetus and the emperor Marcus Aure- 
hus were stoics. 

Stoning. The capital punishment gen- 
erally intiicted on notorious criminals 
among the Hebrews and among the Egyp- 
tians. Ex. 8 : 26 ; 17 : 4 ; Lev. 20 : 2-27 ; 24 : 
14-23 ; Num. 14 : 10 ; Josh. 7 : 25. The cul- 
prit was led out of the city to the place of 
execution ; and the witnesses against him 
were required to begin the work of death. 
He was stoned in one of two ways ; either 
stones were thrown upon him till he died ; 
or he was thrown headlong down a steep 
place, and large stones rolled upon his 
body. Acts 7 : 58, 59 ; 14 : 19 ; Matt. 21 : 44. 

Stork, the pious. A bird of passage, 
much like the crane, but larger. It feeds 
on insects, snails, frogs, and otfal, and was 
reckoned among unclean birds. The com- 
mon stork {Ciconia alba) stands nearlj' four 
feet high, and is white except the extremi- 
ties of the wings, which are black. Its 
long legs enable it to seek its food in the 
water as well as on the land, and its bill is 
so formed as to retain its slippery prey. In 
Palestine it builds its nest on trees. Ps. 
104 : 17. "The beauty and power of the 
stork's wings are seized on as an illustra- 
tion by Zechariah : ' The wind was in their 
wings, for they had wings Like the wings 
of a stork.' Zech. 5 : 9. The black pinions 
of the stork, suddenly expanded from their 
white body, have a striking effect, having 
a spread of nearly seven feet, and the bird 
on the wing, showing its long, bright-red 
bill and steering itself by its long red legs, 
stretched out far behind its tail, is a noble 
sight. The stork has no organs of voice, 
and the only sound it emits is caused by 
the sharp arid rapid snapping of its bill, 
like the rattle of castanets." — Tristram: 

S u c c o th {suk'koth), booths. 1. An an- 
cient town on the journey of Jacob from 
Padan-aram. Gen. 33 : 17.* Succoth lay be- 
tween Peniel, near the ford of the torrent 
Jabbok and Shechem. Comp. Gen. 32 : 30 
and 33 : 18. In accordance with this is the 
mention of Succoth in the narrative of 
Gideon's pursuit of Zeba and Zalmunna. 
Judg. 8 : 5-17. It was allotted to the tribe 
of Gad. Josh. 13 : 27. Succoth is named 
once again after this— in 1 Kings 7 : 46 ; 2 
Chron. 4 : 17 — as marking the spot at which 
the brass founderies were placed for cast- 
ing the metal work of the temple. 2. The 
first camping-place of the Israehtes when 
thev left Egypt. Ex. 12 : 37 ; 13 : 20 ; Num. 
33:5,6. 

Swine. The flesh of the hog was strictly 
forbidden to the Hebrews. Lev. 11 : 7 ; 
Deut. 14 : 8. It seems to have been offered 
In idol-worship, and the worshipper no 
doubt feasted on the sacrifice. Isa. 65 : 4 ; 
66 : 3, 17. Wild hogs are now common on 
the Syrian hills ; perhaps they were equally 
common in ancient times. Ps. 80 : 13. And 
certainly in our Lord's days the breeding 
of swine was common. Matt. 7:6; 8 : 30- 
32 ; Luke 15 : 15, 16 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 22. 

Sycamine Tree. This must be carefQlly 

200 



distinguished from the sycamore. It is 
mentioned but once, Luke 17 : 6 ; referring 
to the black mulberry tree. 

Sycamore Tree. The tree so called in 
Scripture is not the sycamore of this coun- 
try, which is a species of maple. It rather 
belongs to the genus Mais, and may be iden- 
tified with the Ficus sycomoi'is, or sycamore 
fig. It is common both in 'Egypt and Syria. 
It is a tender tree, flourishing in sandy 
plains and,warm valleys, but is not hardy 
enough for the mountain, and would be 
killed by a sharp frost. Ps. 78 : 47. It is 
lofty and wide-spreading, often planted by 
the wayside, over which its arms extend, 
just adapted to the purpose for which 
Zaccheus selected it. Luke 19 : 4. The syc- 
amore yields several crops of figs in the 
year, which grow on short stems along the 
trunk and large branches. These figs are 
often small and insipid. Amos 7 : 14. 

Sychar (sy'kar), drunken. A small vil- 
lage near Jacob's well, John 4 : 5. formerly 
supposed to be another name for Shechem. 
But this is now known to be a mistake ; 
Sychar is represented by the modem Aksar. 

Synagogue. The Greek word for syna- 
gogue properly denotes an assembly, a con- 
gregation. Synagogues were not in use till 
after the exile. In Ps. 74 : 8 we read that the 
invading Chaldean armies had " burned up 
all the synagogues of God in the land," 
but this can only refer to the temple, with 
all its courts, etc. Synagogues were prob- 
ably instituted by Ezra and Nehemiah. See 
Acts 15:21 : "For Moses of old time hath 
in every city them that preach him, being 
read in the synagogues every sabbath day." 
In the later periods of Jewish historj' syn- 
agogues were not only found in all the 
chief cities and lesser towns in Syria, but 
in the principal cities of the Eoman em- 
pire. Mark 1 : 21 ; Acts 6:9; 9 : 2-20 ; Luke 
7 : 5. The establishment of these syna- 
gogues providentially prepared the way for 
the preaching of the gospel. As any* one 
who happened to be present was at liberty 
to read and expound the sacred books. Acts 
13 : 14, 15 ; 15 : 21, this privilege aftbrded our 
Lord and his disciples many opportunities 
for preaching the gospel of the kingdom in 
the various synagogues. Isa. 61 : 4 ; Luke 
4 : 16, 28 ; Matt. 13 : 54 ; Mark 6:2; John 18 : 
20 ; Acts 13 : 5-44 ; 14 : 1 ; 17 : 2, 17 ; 18 : 4, 
26; 19:8. The "ruler of the synagogue" 
granted permission to read or speak. LUke 
8 : 49 ; 13 : 14 ; Mark 5 : 35 ; Acts 18 : 8. The 
"minister," answering nearly to the mod- 
ern sexton of the synagogue, was the at- 
tendant who handed the books to the 
reader, and opened and closed the syna- 
gogue. Luke 4: 20. The "elders" of the 
sj'nagogue preserved order in the assembly, 
Luke 7:3; Mark 5 : 22 ; Acts 13 : 15, and ap- 
pear also to have constituted the lowest tri- 
bunal, which took cognizance mainly of re- 
Ugious matters, and sometimes inflicted the 
punishment. Matt. 10 : 17 ; 23 : 34 ; Mark 13 : 
9 ; Luke 12 : 11 ; 21 : 12 ; John 16 : 2 ; Acts 22 : 
19 ; 26 : 11. Ruins of synagogues, in several 
places in Palestine, have been found. 

Syracuse {syr'a-kOse). The celebrated 
city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Paul 



SYRIA 



OF THE BIBLE. 



TABERNACLE 



arrived there in an Alexandrian ship from 
Melita, on his voyage to Rome. Acts 28 : 12. 
The site of Syracuse rendered it a conven- 
ient place for the African corn-ships to 
touch at, for the harbor was an excellent 
one, and the fountain Arethusa in the 
island furnished " an unfailing supply of 
excellent water. 

Syria (syr'i-ah) ; Hebrew, Aram. Syria 
proper was bounded by Amanus and Taurus 
on the north, by the Euphrates and the Ara- 
bian desert on the east, by Palestine on the 
south, by the Mediterranean near the 
mouth of the Orontes, and then by Phoeni- 
cia on the west. This tract is about 300 
miles long from north to south, and from 
50 to 150 miles broad, between the Libanus 
and the Anti-Libanus ranges. Of the va- 
rious mountain ranges of Syria, Lebanon 
possesses the greatest interest. The princi- 
pal rivers of Syria are the Litany and the 
Orontes. Among the principal cities are Da- 
mascus, Antioch, Hamath, Gebal, Beirut, 
Tadmor or Palmyra, Heliopohs or Baalbec, 
and Aleppo. Baalbec is one of the most 
wonderful ruins in Syria ; Damascus is the 
oldest and largest city. Syria is now one of 
the divisions of Asiatic Turkey, and con- 
tains about 60,000 square oiiles. The popu- 
lation is estimated at about 2,000,000 — Mo- 
hammedans, Jews, and Christians of various 
churches. The language usually spoken is 
the Arabic. 



Taanacli (td'a-n&k), sandy soil. A royal 
Canaanitish city in Issachar, but assigned 
to Manasseh, Josh. 12 : 21 ; 17 : 11 ; Judg. 1 : 
27 ; 5 : 19 ; 1 Kings 4 : 12, also written " Ta- 
nach." Josh. 21 : 25, A. V. This city is per- 
haps the same as " Aner." 1 Chron. 6 : 70. 
It is now called Taanuk, with ruins about 
four miles southeast of Megiddo, on the 
western side of the plain of Esdraelon. 

Tabering. Nah. 2 : 7. An old EngUsh 
word, meaning "to beat as a taber" or 
" tabret," a small drum beaten with one 
stick. 

Tabernacle, Ex. 25 : 9, literally means 
" a tent." The sanctuary where in the ear- 
lier times the most sacred rites of the He- 
brew religion were performed. The com- 
mand to erect a tabernacle is recorded in 
Ex. 25 : 8 ; and in that place, and in Ex. 29 : 
42, 43, 45, the special purpose is declared 
for which it was to be made. And so we 
find the various names of it, the "tent," 
Ex. 26:11, 12; the "tabernacle," dwelhng 
or habitation, Ex. 26:13; the "tent of 
meeting," Ex. 29 :43, for so the words should 
be rendered ; the " tent of the testimony " or 
" tabernacle of witness," Num. 9 : 15 ; 17 : 7 ; 
18 : 2 ; the "house of the Lord," Deut. 23 : 
18 ; Josh. 9 : 23 ; Judg. 18 : 31 ; all these ap- 
pelations pointing to the covenant-purpose 
of God. The command to make it began 
by inviting the people to contribute suita- 
ble materials. They were to be offered with 
a willing heart. These materials are de- 
scribed in Ex. 25 : 3-7. And the tabernacle 
was to be built according to the pattern 
given of God. Jt wa§ as to its general pla^ 



Uke an ordinary tent, which is usually di- 
vided into two compartments, the inner 
lighted by a lamp and closed against 
strangers. Such tents are longer than they 
are broad. And so the tabernacle was an 
oblong square or rectangle, 30 cubits (45 
feet or perhaps 50 feet) long, ten cubits in 
breadth and in height. The frame-work on 
these sides was perpendicular boards of 
shittim-wood, that is, acacia, overlaid with 
gold, kept together by means of transverse 
bars passing through golden rings, and 
each with two tenons, fitting into silver 
sockets, on which they stood. There were 
four coverings. The first was ten curtains of 
byssus, or fine linen, blue, purple, and scar- 
let, with cherubim embroidered on them, 
coupled together by loops and gold hooks. 
The second covering was of goats' hair in 
eleven curtains. The third covering was of 
rams' skins dyed red, like our morocco 
leather ; and the fourth of " badgers' skins," 
more probably a kind of seal skin. These 
were to protect the tabernacle from the 
weather. The inner apartment or most 
holy place was a cube of ten cubits, the 
outer apartment 20 cubits in length and ten 
in breadth. They were separated by a veil 
of the same kind as the innermost cover- 
ing, suspended on four gilded acacia pillars 
reared upon silver sockets. The east end or 
entrance of the tabernacle had also a 
large curtain suspended from five gilded aca- 
cia pillars set in sockets of brass or copper. 
The Furniture. — In the most holy place, 
which the high priest alone entered, 
was the ark of the covenant ; in the holy 
place, where the priests ministered — to the 
north the table of shew-bread, to the south 
the golden candlestick, in the centre the 
altar of incense. Round about the taber- 
nacle was an open court into which the 
people were admitted, 100 cubits in length 
and 50 broad. It was formed by columns, 20 
on each side, 10 at each end, raised on 
brazen or copper sockets. Hangings fast- 
ened to the pillars formed three sides and 
part of the fourth : on the east the breadth 
of four pillars was reserved for a central 
entrance, where was an embroidered cur- 
tain suspended from the four pillars. Im- 
mediately opposite the entrance was the 
great altar of burnt offering ; and between 
that and the door of the tabernacle was the 
laver. Ex., chaps. 26, 27, 38, 40. There are 
-some parts of the description of the pillars 
and hangings of the court which it is not 
easy to understand. The tabernacle was 
completed in about nine months; and as 
the i)eople offered most Uberally, Ex. 36 : 5, 
it was a costly structure ; the value of the 
materials being estimated at $1,000,000. It 
was erected on the first day of the first 
month of the second year after leaving 
Egypt. It was carried by the Israelites into 
Canaan, and there set up, possibly first at 
Gilgal, then, when the land was subdued, 
at Shiloh, Josh. 18 : 1, and also at Bethel, 
perhaps afterwards at Nob, and then at 
Gibeon. 1 Chron. 16 : 39 ; 21 : 29. It was re- 
moved, when the temple was built, to Jeru- 
salem, and possibly deposited in the temple. 
X Kings 8 : 4 ; 2 Chron. 5 : 5. For the regula- 

m 



TABEKNACLES 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



TAKSmSH 



tions about its removal see Num. 4. David 
seems to have constructed a second taber- 
nacle tp receive the ark when it was 
brought to Jerusalem. 2 Sam. 6 : 17; 1 
Chron. 15 : 1. Doubtless the first one had per- 
ished or worn out. See Bissell, Bib. Antiq. 

Tabernacles, Feast of. Num. 29 : 12- 
40. One of the three great annual festivals 
which all the Hebrews were to keep. Dur- 
ing the seven days of its celebration the 
people dwelt in booths made of the branch- 
es and leaves of trees, in commemoration 
of the 40 years' wandering in the wilder- 
ness. Lev. 23 : 34-44. As the season of 
thanksgiving for the fruits of tbe earth, it 
is also called the "Feast of Ingathering." 
Ex. 23 : 16 ; 34 : 22. It commenced on the 
fifteenth day of Tisri, October : the first day 
and the eighth dav were distinguished a's 
Sabbaths. Num. 29 : 12-40 ; Deut. 16 : 13-15 ; 
Zech. 14 : 16-19. In every seventh year 
during this festival, the law of Moses was 
read in the hearing of all the people. 
Deut. 31 : 10-13 ; Neh. 8 : 14-18. In later 
times, the priests went every morning 
during the festival, and drew water from 
the fountain of Siloam, and poured it out 
to the southwest of the altar, the Levites, 
in the meanwhile, playing on instruments 
of music, and singing the Psalms 113-118. 
This ceremony is said to have been founded 
on Isa. 12 : 3 ; and was probably a memorial 
of the abundant supply of water which God 
afforded to the Hebrews during their wan- 
derings in the wilderness. John 7 : 2-39. 

Tabitha {tah'i-tka) , gazeUe. A cts 9 : 36-40. 
A female disciple at Joppa, called also 
Dorcas, restored to life in answer to Peter's 
prayer. - 

Tabor {td'h&r), a mound ; or Mount Ta- 
bor. Judg. 4 : 6. A single limestone moun- 
tain in central Palestine. It rises abruptly 
from the northeastern arm of the plain of Es- 
draelon, and stands entirely isolated except 
on the west, where a narrow ridge connects 
it with the hills of Nazareth. It is six miles 
east of Nazareth, and about 50 miles north 
of Jerusalem. As seen from a distance, it 
presents the appearance of a beautiful flat- 
tened cone, being symmetrical in its pro- 
portions, and rounded off like a hemi- 
sphere or the segment of a circle. Tabor 
makes a prominent figure in the Old, but is 
not named in the New Testament. It was 
the boundary between Issachar and Zebu- 
lun. Josh. 19 : 12, 22. Barak, at the com- 
mand of Deborah, assembled his forces on 
Tabor, and descended thence, with " ten 
thousand men after him," into the plain, 
and conquered Sisera on the banks of the 
Kishon. Judg. 4 : 6-15. The brothers of Gid- 
eon, each of whom " resembled the chil- 
dren of a king," were murdered here by 
Zebah and Zahnunna. Judg. 8 : 18, 19. 
There are the ruins of a fortress on the 
summit of Tabor. 

T a d m o r (tdd'm&r). Heb. Tamar, 
palms. A city in the wilderness, built by 
Solomon. 1 Kings 9 : 18, R. V., " Tamar ; " 
2 Chron. 8 : 4. There is no other Scripture 
mention of this city. It has usuallv been 
Identified with the famous city of Palmyra. 
Palmyra occupied the most favorable posi- 



tion on the great caravan route between the 
rich cities of the East and the ]X)rts of the 
Mediterranean. Palmyra was mentioned 
by PUny, Josephus, Jerome, and other 
early writers. The ruins extend over a 
plain about three or four miles in circuit. 

Tahpanbes {tdh'pan-hez). A city on the 
Tanitic branch of the Nile, in lower Egypt, 
and called Tahapanes and Tehaphnehes, 
Ezek. 30 : 18 ; ix)ssibly the Hanes of Isa. 30 : 
4 ; Jer. 2 : 16 ; 43 : 7, 8, 9 ; 44 : 1 ; 46 :14. Jere- 
miah, after the murder of Gedaliah, was 
taken to this place, and Pharaoh had a 
palace built or restored there, made of 
bricks in a brick-kiln. The children of 
Noph (Memphis) and of Tahpanhes are 
used to represent the entire body of the 
Egyptians. Jer. 2 : 16. It is identical with 
the Daphne of the Greeks. The site of 
Tahpanhes was discovered by M. Naville, 
and the palace of Psammetichus I. found. 

Talent. See Measures and Weights. 
Ex. 25 : 39 : 37 : 24 ; 2 Sam. 12 : 30 ; Matt. 25 : 
25. A Jewish talent in Aveight contained 
about 3000 shekels, and is estimated to 
equal 125 pounds Troy measure. Eeckon- 
ing silver at about 80 cents an ounce, a 
talent of silver would then be equal to 
about $1200. A talent of gold by the Oxford 
tables is estimated equal to $28,280, and 
about $27,300 by Bagster's Bible tables. 
An Attic talent was equal to about $960. 
This may be alluded to in Matt. 18 : 24 ; 25 : 
15. Talents of silver, by weight, are fre- 
quently mentioned in the Old Testament. 
Ex. 38 : 27; 1 Kings 20 : 39 ; 2 Kings 5 : 22 ; 
15 : 19 ; 1 Chron. 29 : 7. Talents of gold are 
also noticed. Ex. 25 : 39 ; 2 Chron. 36 : 8 ; 
1 Chron. 29 : 7. Also a talent of lead. Zech. 
6:7. See Money. 

Tappuah (tdp'pu-ah or tap-pii'ah), apple 
region. 1. A town in the plain country of 
Judah. Josh. 15 : 34. 2. A city on the bor- 
der of Ephraim and Manasseh ; the city 
belonged to Ephraim, the land or district 
named from it to Manasseh. Josh. 16 : 8 ; 
17 : 8. This was no doubt identical with 
En-tappuah. It is not certain which of 
these two places is intended in Josh. 12 : 17. 

Tares. Bearded darnel {Lolium temulen- 
tum), a grass sometimes found in our own 
grain-fields, but very common in Eastern 
countries. Matt. 13 : 25. Until the head 
appears its resemblance to wheat is very 
close. Travellers describe the process of 
pulUng up this grass and separating it from 
the genuine grain, and their descriptions 
perfectly accord with the language of our 
Saviour in the parable. 

Tarshish (tdr'shish), a breaking. 1 Kings 
10 : 22 : 22 : 48. 1. An ancient commercial 
city Avhose situation is not certainly deter- 
mined. Some place it not far from the 
Straits of Gibraltar. Gen. 10 : 4 ; Ps. 72 : 10. 
The region of Tarshish, also written Thar- 
shish, 1 Kings 10 : 22 ; 22 : 48, is possibly 
the Tartessus of the Greeks and Romans. 
The Hebrews and the Phoenicians imported 
silver, iron, tin, lead, and other articles of 
merchandise from this place of trade. Isa. 
23:1, 6, 10; 66:19; Jer. 10:9; Ezek. 27: 
12, 25 ; 38 : 13. " Ships of Tarshish " desig- 
nMed ships employed by tbe Tynans io 



TAKSUS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



TEMPLE 



voyages to and from Tarshish, Isa. 60 : 9 ; 
Jonah 1:3; 4:2; possibly all large mer- 
chant ships. Isa. 2 : 16 ; Ps. 48 : 7. 

Tarsus {tdr'sus). A town of Cilicia, the 
birthplace of the apostle Paul. Acts 9 : 11 ; 
21:39; 22:3. Augustus made it a "free 
city." It was renowned as a place of edu- 
cation under the early Roman emperors. 
Strabo compares it in this respect to Athens 
and Alexandria. Tarsus also was a place 
of much commerce. It was situated in a 
wild and fertile plain on the banks of the 
Cydnus. No ruins of any importance re- 
main. 

Taverns, the Three. A place where 
some of the " brethren " came to meet Paul 
on his journey to Rome, and by their com- 
ing the apostle took fresh courage. Acts 
28 : 13-15. It was on the Appian Way, 33 
miles southeast from Rome, and ten miles 
from Appii Forum. 

Tax, Taxing, Taxation. Luke 2 : 1, 2, 
R. V. " enroll, enrollment." 1 Kings 10 : 28, 
29. The IsraeUtes wer* expected to pay, 
in their earlier history, sacred oflferings 
which were connected with their religious 
services. From them the priests and Le- 
vites, and in a measure the poor, were to 
be maintained. To these must be added 
the capitation tax to be paid when a cen- 
sus of the people was taken. Ex. 30 : Il- 
ls. This, however, was but occasional — 
yet see perhaps some traces of it in 2 Kings 
12 : 4 ; 2 Chron. 24 : 6-9 ; but it formed the 
basis of the annual impost agreed to after 
the captivity, Neh. 10 : 32, 33, then the third 
of a shekel, but afterwards a half-shekel, 
Matt. 17 : 24, 27, levied on all Jews where- 
soever they resided. On the establishment 
of kingly "government additional burdens 
were necessarily laid upon the nation — as 
for Solomon's great works, 1 Kings 12 : 4, 
and when foreign enemies required large 
sums as fines or annual tribute. 2 Kangs 
15 : 19, 20 ; 17 : 4 ; 23 : 33-35. Under the 
Persian government, after the return from 
Babylon, there was a regular system of 
taxation, to which doubtless the provinces 
of the empire generally were subjected. 
Three branches are enumerated, from 
which, however, the priests and sacred 
classes were specially exempted, "toll, 
tribute, and custom," Ezra 4 : 13 ; 7 : 24, 
probably implying direct money payments, 
excise, and tolls by travellers at bridges, 
fords, etc. The Jews had also to defray 
the charges of the governor by supplying 
his table, and by a money payment. This 
Nehemiah when in office did not exact. 
Neh. 5 : 14, 15. The Egyptian and Syrian 
kings imposed yet more oppressive taxes. 
In later times it appears that, though relief 
was sometimes granted, direct tribute, du- 
ties on salt, crown taxes, and a certain pro- 
portion of the produce of fruit trees, and 
corn land, with a tax on cattle were ordi- 
narily required. 1 Mace. 10 : 29-31 ; 11 : 34, 
35 ; 13 : 39. When Judea was made a Roman 
province the taxes were systematically 
farmed, and publicans were stationed 
through the country. There were the 
duties to be paid at harbors, and the gates 
of cities, a poli-tax, and perhaps a kind of 



property tax. Mark 12 : 14, 15 ; Rom. 13 : 
6, 7. These imposts were regarded with 
great jealousy, as paid to a foreign power. 
There was also a house tax in Jerusalem, 
remitted by Agrippa I. Josephus' Ant. 19 : 
6, 3. For the taxing or registration in order 
to taxation, said to be conducted by Cyre- 
nius, Luke 2:1, 2, see Cyrenius. There 
was another at a later period. Acts 5 : 37. 

Tekoa (te-kd'ah), a fixing or pitching of 
tents. A fortified city, twelve miles south 
by east from Jerusalem, 1 Chron. 2 : 24 ; 
Jer. 6:1; Amos 1:1; also written " Te- 
koah." 2 Sam. 14 : 2, 4, 9, A. V. The in- 
habitants were called "Tekoites." Neh. 3: 
5. It had a desert lying east of it, toward 
the Dead Sea. 2 Chron. 20 : 20. Tekoa, 
now called Teku'a, is situated on a hill. 

Tel-ahib {tel-d'bib), corn hill. A place in 
Babylonia where some of the Jewish cap- 
tives were stationed. It was by the river 
of Chebar ; but its precise site is doubtful. 
Ezek. 3 : 15. 

Teman (te'man), south desert. A coun- 
try named from the oldest son of Eliphaz, 
the son of Esau. Gen. 36 : 11. These peo- 
ple were called Temani, or Temanites, and 
seem to have been noted for wisdom. Jer. 
49 : 7 ; Obad. 9. They are especially men- 
tioned in the prediction against Edom. 
Jer. 49 : 7 ; Ezek. 25 : 13 ; Amos 1 : 12 ; Obad. 
9 ; Hab. 3 : 3. Their country seems to have 
been the southeastern part of Edom. 

Temple. A place or building dedicated 
to religious worship. " God . . . dwelleth 
not in temples made with hands." Acts 17 : 
24. The word temple occurs in the A. V. 
about 200 times, generally referring to the 
one at Jerusalem. But the temple at Baby- 
lon is alluded to, 2 Chron. 36 : 7 ; Ezra 5 : 
14 ; the temple of Diana at Ephesus, Acts 
19 : 27 ; the temple of God, 2 Cor. 6 : 16, " 
meaning the saints, and the temple in the 
Holy City— the New Jerusalem. Rev. 21 : 
22. The word specially designated the 
sanctuary of Jehovah at Jerusalem. There 
were three successive temples there; 1. 
Solomon's ; 2. Zerubbabel's, known as the 
Second temple ; 3. Herod's temple. 

1. Solomon's Temple, was built on Mount 
Moriah, in the eastern part of Jerusalem, 
by Solomon, the king, as conceived and 
planned by his father David. 1 Chron. 17 : 
1. David gathered the materials and funds 
to build it — " an hundred thousand talents 
of gold, and a thousand thousand talents 
of silver ; and of brass and iron without 
weight." 1 Chron. 22 : 14. The silver and 
gold would be equal to from $2,000,000 to 
84,000,000. Besides gold and silver, David 
collected immense quantities of " brass " 
(bronze or copper), iron, stone, timber, etc., 
and he secured skilful mechanics and artif- 
icers for every branch of the work. 1 
Chron. 22 ; 29 : 4, 7. He also furnished the 
design, plan, and location of the building; 
in all which he was divinely instructed. 1 
Chron. 21 ; 22 ; 28 : 11-19. There were 183,- 
600 Jews and strangers employed on it— 
of Jews 30,000, by rotation 10,000 a month ; 
of Canaanites, 153,600, of whom 70,000 were 
" bearers of burdens," 80,000 hewers of 
wood and stone, and 3600 overseers. The 

203 



TEMPLE 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



TEMPLE 



parts were all prepared at a distance from 
the site of the building, and when they 
were brought together the whole structure 
was erected without the sound of hammer, 
axe, or any tool of iron. 1 Kings 6:7. It 
required seven and one-half years to com- 
plete it in all its splendor, the glory of Je- 
rusalem, and the most magnificent edifice 
in the world, b. c. 1005. Like the taberna- 
cle, it had its front toward the east. All 
the arrangements of the temple were iden- 
tical with those of the tabernacle, and the 
dimensions of every part exactlj- double 
those of the previous structure. It was 70 
cubits long and 20 wide, and had in front 
a porch more than 200 feet high. All 
around the main structure there were at- 
tached to the north and south sides and at 
the west end certain buildings called side 
chambers, 1 Kings 6 : 10, three stories in 
height, which were much more extensive 
than the temple itself. The material Avas 
white stone : the Avoodwork of cedar, over- 
laid with fine gold ; the floor of cedar, Avith 
planks of fir. 1 Kings 6 : 15. The holy 
of holies Avas a small square chamber, ab- 
solutely dark except by the hght receiA^ed 
through the entrance. In it Avere tAvo huge 
golden figures, standing upright on their 
feet, on each side of the ark, Avhich rested 
upon a protuberance of rough rock. Above 
the ark the Avings of these cherubim met. 
The walls of the chambers Avhich ran 
round the rest of the building Avere not al- 
lowed to lean against the outer walls of 
this sanctuary. The quarries of Solomon 
haA^e been discovered under the present 
city of Jerusalem, near the Damascus gate. 
They are very extensive. The temple of 
Solomon stooci 424 years ; at times Avas al- 
loAved to fall into decay ; was plundered 
by Shishak, king of Egypt, during the 
reign of Rehoboam. lKingsl4:2o, 26. After 
this it Avas frequently profaned and pil- 
laged ; was repaired bv Joash, 2 Kings 12 : 
5-14, and by Josiah, 2'Chron. 29 : 3-9. Its 
destruction Avas prophesied by Jeremiah, 
Jer. 7 : 2, 14, and it was at last broken down 
and destroyed by the king of Babylon, and 
the nation itself carried into captivitv. 2 
Kings 25 : 8, 9. 13-17 ; 2 Chron. 36 : 18, 19, 
B. c. 586. 

2. The Temple of Zerubbdbd.— In B. c. 536 
Cyrus the Persian king of Babylon gave 
permission to the Jcavs to return. Zerub- 
babel, as JcAvish goA-ernor, and Joshua, the 
high priest, superintended the people in 
rebuilding the temple. Cyrus permitted 
and encouraged them to do this work. 
Ezra 3 : 8. Owing to the opposition of their 
enemies, it Avas not, hoAvcA'er, completed 
for 20 years, B. c. 515. The story of this 

. long struggle and trouble is told in the book 
of Ezra. This second temple, though infe- 
rior in many respects to the first — having 
no ark, no mercy -seat, no visible revelation 
of the divine glory, no sacred fire, no Urim 
and Thummim, and no spirit of prophecy, 
Ezra 3 : 12, 13 — still was in breadth and 
height, in almost every dimension, one- 
third larger than Solomon's. 

3. Temple of Herod. — The temple of Ze- 
rubbabel after nearly 500 years had suffered 

204 



much from wars, age, and decay, when 
Herod the Great, to secure the favor of the 
Jews, undertook to rebuild it. He began 
the work 20 years before the birth of Christ 
and completed the main building in one 
year and a half, and the adjoining build- 
ings in eight years. But the work was not 
entirely ended till a. d. 64, under Herod 
Agrippa II. So the statement in John 2 : 

20 is correct. The building stood upon 
Mount Moriah, in an area which was 500 
cubits square. Along the ramparts of the 
temple hill ran double cloisters or arcades, 
and there the money changers sat. Matt. 
21 : 12. There Avere several courts about 
the temple Avhich Avere upon different lev- 
els. The outer court, or coiu-t of the Gen- 
tiles, came first ; then the court of the avo- 
men, the court of Israel, the court of the 
priests, and then the temple itself. Be- 
tween the first two came the " soreg " (" in- 
terAvoven "), or " middle wall of partition." 
Eph. 2 : 14. It had 13 openings ; upon it, 
at intervals, were stones Avith Greek in- 
scriptions, threatening death to the Gen- 
tile Avho entered. A stone thus inscribed 
Avas discovered lately by an explorer in 
Palestine. The charge that Paul had 
brought such a Greek into the enclosure 
aroused the Jerusalem mob. Acts 21 : 28. 
The coiirt of Israel, 10 cubits by 135, was 
15 steps higher up, and upon them the 15 
Songs of Degrees— Ps. 120-134, inclusive — 
Avere sung. The musical instruments Avere 
kept there. It Avas merely a platform, and 
had no cloisters or columns. Only men 
especially purified could enter it. The 
court of the priests, or sanctuary, 135 by 
176 cubits, was 2% cubits higher than the 
court of Israel, the Avail being 1 cubit high, 
Avith 3 steps above it. On the Avail there 
Avas a platform from which the priests 
blessed the people. The entrance of the 
temple was 20 cubits Avide and 40 high. 
Over it hung the golden Aane, supported, 
probably, by nails. The temple was of two 
stories ; in the lower there Avere 38 cham- 
bers in three tiers; in the upper, none. 
The holy house was entered from the 
porch by a gate 20 cubits high and 10 
broad, Avith double doors, opening out and 
in ; before it hung a veil of equal width 
M'ith the doors. Before the entrance to the 
holy of hoUes hung two veils or two cur- 
tains, 1 cubit apart, and, inasmuch as the 
opening of the outer curtain Avas upon the 
north, while the inner was on the south, 
no glimpse of the holy of holies could be 
obtained by any one but the high priest. 
The purification of Mary, Luke 2 : 22, must 
have been near the gate Nicanor. The 
Child Jesus Avas found amid the doctors of 
the law in the temple courts. Luke 2 : 46. 
The Beautiful Gate, Acts 3 : 2, was one of 
the finest entrances to the temple. The 
castle of Antonia, from which, by a secret 
passageway, the Roman soldiery could be 
led down into the temple area to pre- 
serve order— as notably to rescue Paul, Acts 

21 : 31, 32— was situated upon the north- 
western corner of the outer cloister, and 
had four towers with a large interior space. 
Jesus foretold the destruction qf the third 



TEN COMMANDMENTS 



OF THE BIBLE. 



THESSALONIANS 



temple : " There shall not be left here one 
stone upon another, that shall not be 
thrown down." Matt. 24: 2 ; Mark 13 : 2 ; 
Luke 21 : 6. This prophecy was made about 
30 A. D., and was fulfilled about 40 years 
afterward, by the Roman soldiers, who set 
the temple on fire and destroyed it in 70 
A. D., although the Roman commander had 
given strict orders to have it preserved. 
About three centuries later, the emperor 
Julian attempted to rebuild it. but was pre- 
vented, for the terrific explosions that took 
place, as the workmen dug down for the 
foundations, caused them to throw away 
their implements, and the work was aban- 
doned. See Milman's Hist. Christianity, iii. 
27. 

Up to quite recent times the Haram — 
as the enclosure containing the site of the 
temple is called, and where the mosques 
of Omar and el-Aksar now stand— was 
closed to all non-Mohannnedans ; but the 
pressure brought to bear after the Crimean 
war, 1856, was too great, and now travellers 
find little difficulty in gaining admittance. 

The temple was a type of the Christian, 
for every Christian is a temple of the Holy 
Ghost. 1 Cor. 3 : 16, 17 ; 6 : 19 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 16 ; 
1 Pet. 2 : 5. The temple seen by Ezekiel in 
vision is very fully described, and is sup- 
posed by some to be a figure of the actual 
temple. See Ezek. 40 to 47. 

Ten Commandments, the. Deut. 4 : 
13. Or, more exactly, the Ten Words. 
Ex. 34 : 28, margin ; Deut. 10 : 4, margin. 
They were proclaimed from Sinai, amid 
mighty thunderings and hghtnings, Ex.. 
20 : 1-22, and were graven on tablets of 
stone by the finger of God. Ex. 31 : 18 ; 32 : 
15, 16 ; 34 : 1, 28. Ten was a significant 
number, the symbol of completeness ; and 
in these ten words was comprised that 
moral law to which obedience forever was 
to be paid. On these, summed up as our 
Lord summed them up, hung all the law 
and the prophets. Matt. 22 : 36-40. There 
were two tables, the commandments of the 
one more especially respecting God. those 
of the other, man. These are usually di- 
vided into four and six. Perhaps they 
might better be distributed into five and 
five. The honor to parents enjoined by the 
fifth commandment is based on the ser- 
vice due to God, the Father of his people. 
Paul, enumerating those which respect our 
neighbor, includes but the last five. Rom. 
13 : 9. 

Terah (te'rah), delay. The father of 
Abraham, who left Ur to" go to Canaan, but 
died at Haran, in Mesopotamia. Gen. 11 : 
24-32 ; Josh. 24 : 2, 14 ; Acts 7 : 2-4. He is 
called " Tharah " in Luke 3 : 34. 

Teraptiim {tSr'a-phlm), givers of prosper- 
ous life? Images kept in the houses and 
honored with a certain kind of reverence. 
Laban had some of them ; and Rachel took 
these when leaving Padan-aram. Gen. 31 : 
19, 30, 32-35. So we find that they were 
employed for purposes of divination among 
the Babylonians. Ezek. 21 : 21. It is pos- 
sible that Rachel imagined that some au- 
gury of the future might be obtained from 
mem ; and she must have considered them 



as having a tutelary power. These images 
were probably some of the strange gods of 
which Jacob subsequently cleansed his 
household. Gen. 35 : 2, 4. Micah had 
them in his house, and felt sure that 
Jehovah would bless him when he had a 
Levite to minister before them. Judg. 17 : 

5, 13. These the Danites eagerly carried 
off. Judg. 18 : 14-21. It is still more per- 
plexing to find them in David's house. 1 
Sam. 19 : 13, 16. And it does not seem that 
they were altogether put away till the 
thorough reformation of Josiah's days. 2 
Kings 23 : 24. Then, indeed, they were 
classed with abominable things. The word 
is used, 1 Sam. 15 : 23, rendered in our ver- 
sion "idolatry," in expressing the truth 
that obstinacy was sinful, "iniquity, and 
teraphim worship." We find them also 
censured in Zech. 10 : 2 ; and Hosea em- 
ployed the term to signify the state of Is- 
rael with no kind of worship either of the 
true God or of false deities. Hos. 3 : 4. We 
may gather that they were made of various 
materials, as of silver, Judg. 17 : 4, and that 
they resembled a human figure sometimes 
of the natural size. 1 Sam. 19 : 13. Per- 
haps they were like the Roman Penates or 
household gods. Small figures of baked 
clay, some with a human head and a hon's 
body, and others with a human body and 
lynx head, have been found under the 
pavement of the porch of the Khorsabad 
palace. 

Tertullus {ter-tuVlus). " A certain ora- 
tor, "Acts 24 : 1, who was retained to accuse 
the apostle Paul at Csesarea before the Ro- 
man procurator Felix. 

Tetrarch. This title strictly denotes 
one who governs the fourth part of a prov- 
ince or kingdom. Matt. 14 : 1. In Scripture, 
however, it is applied to any one who gov- 
erned a province of the Roman empire, 
whatever portion of the territory might be 
within his jurisdiction. Matt. 14 : 9. 

Thebez (the'bez) brightness. The town 
where Abimelech was "killed. Judg. 9 : 50 ; 
2 Sam. 11 : 21. It is now Tubas, a place 11 
miles northeast of Shechem, Nablus. 

Theophilus {the-dph'i-lus), lover of God. 
A noted person to whom Luke addressed 
his gospel and his history of the Acts of the 
Apostles. Luke 1 : 3. The title " most ex- 
cellent" probably denotes official dignity. 
Acts 23 : 26 ; 24 : 3 ; and 26 : 25. 

Thessalonians {tMs'sa-lo'ni-anz), Epis- 
tles to the. These epistles are ascribed to 
Paul by Irenseus, Clement of Alexandria, 
and Tertullian. The First Epistle was 
probably the first of all the Pauline letters, 
and written, not at Athens, but at Corinth, 
about A. D. 52. The design of the epistle 
was to establish the followers of Christ in 
those graces for which they were conspicu- 
ous, and to encourage them under severe 
persecutions. Acts 17 : 1-11 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 5, 

6. The Second Epistle, also written at Cor- 
inth, near the close of a. d. 53 or early in 
54, was designed to correct some misappre- 
hensions respecting the First Epistle. Some 
misunderstood the apostle's words, and 
taught that the day of the Lord was very- 
near at hand, I Thess. 5 : 2-4. Paul cor' 

m 



THESSALONICA 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



TIGLATH-PILESER 



recta this misapprehension and assures 
them that the "man of sin," or "son of 
jterdition," must reach the highest pitch 
of arrogance before final ruin from the 
Lord be hurled upon the "mystery of in- 
iquity," which was already working. 2 
Thess. 2 : 3-12. 

Thessalonica (tMs'sa-lo-m'kah). A city 
of Macedonia. It was in Paul's time a free 
city of the Romans, the capital and most 
populous city in Macedonia. Paul and 
wSilas, in a. d. 58, came to Thessalonica 
from Phihppi, which was 100 miles north- 
east. For at least three Sabbaths the apos- 
tles preached to their countrj-men. A 
church was gathered, principally composed 
of Gentiles. At length the persecution be- 
came so violent as to drive the apostles 
away. Paul desired to revisit the church 
there, and sent Timothy to minister to 
them. Among his converts were Caius, 
Aristarchus. Secvmdus, and i)erhaps Jason. 
Acts 17 : 1-13 ; 20 : 4 ; 27 : 2 ; comp. Phil. 4 : 
16 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 10. Paul wrote two epistles 
to the Thessalonian church from Corinth. 
1 Thess. 1 : 1 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 1. The " rulers " 
of the city, Acts 17 : 6, 8, are called, in the 
original, " pohtarchs." This is a peculiar 
term, not elsewhere found in the I^ew Tes- 
tament, but this very word appears in the 
inscription on a triumphal arch beheved 
to have been erected after the battle of 
Phihppi. The names of seven jwhtarchs 
are given. During several centuries Thes- 
salonica was an important centre of Chris- 
tianity in the oriental church, and from 
it the Bulgarians and Slavonians were 
reached. The population now is about 
80,000, of whom 30,000 are Jews and 10,000 
Greeks, 

Theudas {theii'das), God-given. An insur- 
rectionary chieftain mentioned by Gama- 
hel. Acts 5 : 36. This Theudas was an ob- 
scure individual who is not mentioned 
elsewhere. The name was a common one. 

Thomas (tdm'as), twin. Also called Did- 
ymus, a Greek term meaning tivin. Matt. 
10 : 3 ; Mark 3 : 18 ; Luke 6 : 15 ; Acts 1 : 13. 
There can be httle doubt that this apostle 
was a native of Gahlee. John 21 : 2. In 
the character of Thomas we observe a desire 
for a sufficient evidence of facts. John 14 : 
5 ; 20 : 24, 25. He was of a thoughtful mind ; 
his aflFection for his Master was warm and 
disinterested, John 11 : 16 ; and his faith was 
not, as some have characterized it, incon- 
siderate, ruiming easily from one extreme 
to the other. He had doubted the resur- 
rection, and described the kind of proof he 
required ; but, when the Lord appeared, 
and showed by his address to him that he 
knew his thoughts, then the apostle natu- 
rally desired nothing more. His reason 
was convinced : it was his Lord and his 
God. John 20 : 26-29. There is nothing 
in Thomas' behavior to surprise those 
accustomed to analyze the working of 
the human mind. The Scripture is af- 
terwards silent as to this apostle. Accord- 
ing to earUest tradition, he preached in Par- 
thia, and was buried at Edessa : later his- 
tories say that he went to India, and was 
martyred there ; and the Syrian Christians 

206 



in that country claim him as the founder 
of their church. 

Thresh, Threshing. Different modes 
of threshing are used in the East. A level 
spot was selected for the threshing-floor, 
generally in an exposed situation where 
advantage might be taken of the wind for 
winnowing or separating the com from the 
chaff when the threshing process was com- 
pleted. Robinson observed several of 
these floors near together of a circular form 
hardened by beating down the earth, and 
about 50 feet in diameter, the sheaves being 
thickly spread on them. Near Jericho "were 
no less than five such floors, all trodden 
by oxen, cows, and younger cattle, ar- 
ranged in each case five' abreast, and driven t 
round in a circle, or rather in all directions, ^ 
over the floor. . . By this process the straw 
is broken up and becomes chaff. It is occa- 
sionally turned up with a large wooden fork 
having two prongs, and when sufficiently 
trodden is thrown up with the same fork 
against the wind in order to separate the 
grain, which is then gathered up and win- 
nowed. The whole process is exceedingly 
wasteful." 

Thyatira (thy'a-tl'rah). A city of Asia 
Minor, on the northern bolder of Lydia. 
Dyeing was an important branch of its 
business from Homer's time, and the first 
New Testament mention of Thyatira, Acts 
16 : 14, connects it with the purple-seller, 
Lydia. Three votive inscriptions have 
been found among its ruins purporting to 
have come from the guild of "The Dyers." 
Thyatira was the seat of one of the seven 
churches of Asia. Rev. 2 : 18-29. Its pop- 
ulation now is estimated at from 17,000 to 
20,000. 

Thyine-'wood. A kind of cedar grow- 
ing in Spain, and on the coast of Africa. 
It was the Citrum or citron-wood of the 
Romans, the Thuja articulata of Linnaeus. 
It was frequently employed to give fra- 
grance to sacrifices. Rev. 18 : 12, margin, 
sweet. The tree grows to the height of 30 
feet, or even more, and resembles the cy- 
press in its boughs, leaves, and fruit. 

Tiberias {ti-be'ri-as). A town in GaUlee, 
on the western shore of the sea of Tiberias. 
John 6:1, 23. Our Lord never visited it. 
He was often in the immediate neighbor^ 
hood ; but we never read of his entering 
Tiberias. It was the seat for centuries of a 
famous academy, and to the present day it 
is one of the four holy cities. Near to Ti- 
berias are the celebrated hot baths of 
Hammam. The present city contains about 
2000 inhabitants. 

Tiberius (tl-be'ri-us). Luke 3 : 1. Tibe- 
rius Claudius Nero, the second Roman em- 
I)eror, from a. d. 14 until a. d. 37. He was 
the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and 
Livia, and hence a stepson of Augustus. 
He was despotic in his government, cruel 
and \indictive in his disposition. He died 
A. D. 37, at the age of 78, after a reign of 28 
years. Our Saviour was put to death in the 
reign of Tiberius. John 19 : 12, 15. 

Tiglath-pileser {tig'lath-pl-le'zer). The 
second Assyrian king mentioned in the 
Scriptures as having come into contact with 



TIMNATH 



OF THE BIBLE. 



TOB 



the Israelites, and the second of the name. 
He invaded Samaria, 2 Kings 15 : 29, and 
after some years destroyed Damascus, tak- 
ing many captives. 1 Chron. 6 : 26. The 
occasion of the first attack was probably 
the refusal of Pekah to pay tribute ; of the 
second, the call of Ahaz upon him for as- 
sistance against Pekah and R3zin, the king 
of Syria. Tiglath-pileser at Damascus met 
Ahaz, who became his vassal. 2 Kings 16 : 
10. He reigned b. c. 747-730. 

Timnath {tivVnath) and Timiiathali 
(tlm'na-thah), portion assigned. 1. A place 
to which Judah was going when he was 
met by his daughter-in-law Tamar, Gen. 
38 : 12-14 ; R. V., " Timnah." 2. The home 
of Samson's wife, Judg. 14 : 1, 2, 5 ; R. V., 
" Timnah ; " probably also identical with 
Timnah, the modern Tibueh, west of Beth- 
shemesh. 

Timnatli-serah (tlm'nath-se'rah), por- 
tion of abundance. A town in the moun- 
tains of Ephraim, which was assigned to 
Joshua ; and in which he was buried. 
Josh. 19 : 49, 50 ; 24 : 30. It is also written 
" Timnath-heres "= portion of the sun. Judg. 
2:9. 

Timothy (tlm'o-thy), honoring God. 
Called also Timotheus, A. V. An evan- 
gelist and helper of Paul. His father was 
a Greek and a heathen ; his mother, Eu- 
nice, was a Jewess, and a woman of piety, 
as was also his grandmother, Lois, 2 Tim. 1 : 
5, and by them he was early taught in the 
Scriptures of the Old Testament. 2 Tim. 
3 : 15. Paul selected him as an assistant in 
his labors, and, to avoid the cavils of the 
Jews, had him circumcised. 1 Cor. 9 : 20. 
He was left in charge of the church at 
Ephesus. 1 Tim. 4 : 12. A post-apostoUc 
tradition makes him bishop of Ephesus. 

Epistles op Paul to. These, with that 
to Titus, are commonly called the Pastoral 
Epistles, because they give directions 
about church work. First Timothy is 
supposed to have been written about the 
year 65, and contains special instructions 
respecting the quaUfications and the du- 
ties of officers and other persons in the 
church. The second epistle was written a 
year or two later and while Paul was in 
constant expectation of martyrdom. 2 
Tim. 4 : 6-8. 

Tin. Num. 31 : 22 ; Ezek. 27 : 12. Burton 
has recently found tin-ore in the land of 
Midian. In Isa. 1:25 the word "tin" 
doubtless means a sort of dross. The mar- 
gin of the R. V. reads "alloy." 

Tiphsah. {tif'sah), passage, ford. A 
city on the western bank of the Euphrates, 
supposed to be the Thapsacus of the Greeks 
and Romans. It was the northeastern ex- 
tremity of Solomon's dominions. 1 Kings 
4:24. 

Tirliakah {tir'ha-Tcah), exalted f King of 
Ethiopia and upper Egypt. 2 Kings 19 : 9 ; 
Isa. ^ : 9. In legends he was one of the great- 
est conquerors of antiquity. His triumphs 
westward are said to have reached the Pil- 
lars of Hercules. When Sennacherib heard 
of his coming he demanded the immediate 
surrender of Jerusalem. 2 Kings 19 : 9, 16. 
TJrUakah reigned, probably. 28 years. The 



dates are uncertain, but perhaps his rule 
extended from B. c. 695 to 667. 

Tirzah {tir'zah), delight. One of the 31 
cities of the Canaanites taken by Joshua, 
Josh. 12 : 24, and for 50 years the capital of 
the northern kingdom of Israel, until Omrl 
built Samaria. 1 Kings 14 : 17 ; 15 : 21, 33 ; 
16 : 6, 23. It is also mentioned in the reign 
of Menahem, B. c. 772, 2 Kings 15 : 14, 16, 
and its fame for beauty appears from Song 
of Sol. 6 : 4. Tirzah has been usually iden- 
tified with Telluzah, five miles east of Sa- 
maria, and 30 miles north of Jerusalem. 
The village occupies a fine elevation in the 
midst of oUve groves. 

Tislibah (tish'bah). The birthplace of 
Elijah, 1 Kings 17 : 1, who is therefore 
called the Tishbite, probably identical with 
el-Istib, or Listib, 22 miles in an air-line 
south of the Sea of Galilee, and ten miles 
east of the Jordan. 

Tithes, or Tenths. A form of tax 
known long before the time of Moses, Gen. 
14 : 20 ; 28 : 22, and practised under the civil 
and religious government of heathen na- 
tions. It required a fixed proportion of the 
produce of the earth and of herds, for the 
service of God. One-tenth of this produce 
went to the use of the Levites, who had no 
part in the soil, and of course were depend- 
ent on their brethren for the means of sub- 
sistence. One-tenth of their tenth they paid 
in their turn to the priests. Num. 18 : 21-32. 
The nine parts were tithed again, and of this 
second tithe a feast was made in the court 
of the sanctuary, or in some apartment con- 
nected with it. If, however, the Jew could 
not with convenience carry his tithe thither, 
he was permitted to sell it and to take the 
money, adding one-fifth of the amount — 
that is, if he sold the tithe for a dollar, he 
should bring, in money, a dollar and twenty 
cents— and to purchase therewith what was 
reqmred at the feast after he came to the 
sanctuary. Lev. 27 : 31 ; Deut. 12 : 17, 18 ; 14 : 
22-27. See for full account, Bissell's Bib- 
lical Antiquities. 

Tittle, the very least point, Matt. 5 : 18 ; 
used of the fine stroke by which some let- 
ters were distinguished. To omit this stroke 
condemned the entire copy of the Law 
made by the scribe. 

Titus {tVtus). A Gentile by descent, and 
probably converted to Christianity under 
the preaching of Paul. Titus 1 : 4. He, how- 
ever, refused to subject him to the rite of 
circvuncision, though,as some have inferred, 
he was strongly urged so to do. Gal. 2 : 3-5. 
Titus was the companion of Paul in many 
of his trials and missionary tours, 2 Cor. 8 : 
6, 16, 23, and was entrusted with several im- 
portant commissions. 2 Cor. 12 : 18 ; 2 Tim. 
4 : 10 ; Titus 1 : 5. 

Epistle of Paul to, was designed to in- 
struct Titus in the right discbarge of his 
ministerial offices in Crete, a difficult field, 
owing to the character of the inhabitants, 
who were noted for lying, idleness, ana 
gluttony. Titus 1 : 12. The Epistle was prob- 
ably written from Asia Minor in the year 
65, when Paul was on his way to Nicopolis. 

Tob {t6b), good. The place or district be- 
yond the Jordan to which Jephthah fled, 

207 



TOBIAH 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



TRIBES 



Judg. 11 : 3, 5 ; also called Ish-tob. 2 Sam. 
10 : 6, 8, A. V. It lay beyond Gilead, toward 
the eastern deserts. 

Tobiah {to-bV ah), goodness of Jehovah. 1. 
"The children of Tobiah" M^ere a family 
who returned with Zerubbabel, but were 
unable to prove their connection with Is- 
rael. Ezra 2 : 60 ; Neh. 7 : 62. 2. Tobiah 
though a slave, Neh. 2 : 10, 19 — unless this 
is a title of opprobrium — and an Ammonite, 
found means to ally liimself with a priestly 
family, and his son Johanan married the 
daughter of Meshullam the son of Bere- 
chiah. Neh. 6 : 18. He himself was the son- 
in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arab, Neh. 
6 : 17, and these family relations created for 
him a strong faction among the Jews. 

Tongues, Gift of. Joel 2 : 28 ; Acts 2 : 16 ; 
Mark 16 : 17 ; comp. Matt. 10 : 19, 20 ; Mark 
13 : 11. This gift was of two kinds. The 
first gift was the power to "declare the 
wonderful works of God" in languages 
ordinarily unknown to the speakers, for the 
instruction of foreign hearers. Acts ? : 4-11. 
The other form of the gift of tongues is 
thoiight to have been an ecstatic form of 
worship, chieflv praise, but requiring inter- 
pretation. Acts 10 : 46 : 1 Cor. 12 : 30. 

Topaz. Ezek. 28 : 13 ; Rev. 21 : 20. The 
modern chrysohte, a rather soft and trans- 
parent or translucent gem, usually of a pale 
green. The true topaz is ordinarilV pellucid 
and of a yellowish tint, but sometimes of a 
brown, blue, or green hue, or even colorless. 
A single gem of this kind has been sold (it 
is said) for upwards of §1,000,000. The finest 
specimens are found in the East Indies. 

ToplietU (to'/eth), and once Tophet 
(tc'fet), place of burning, first applied to a 
deep part of the " valley of the son of Hin- 
nom," Jer. 7 :31, "by the entry of the east 
gate." Jer. 19 : 2. It seems also to have 
been part of the king's gardens, and watered 
by Siloam. Tophet occurs only in the Old 
Testament. 2 Kings 23 : 10 ; Isa. 30 : 33 ; Jer. 
7 : 31, 32 ; 19 : 6, 11-14. The New does not 
refer to it. Tophet has been variously trans- 
lated. The most natural meaning seems 
that suggested by the occurrence of the 
word in two consecutive verses, in one of 
which it is a tabret and in the other tophet. 
Isa. 30 : 32, 3:3. Tophet was probably the 
king's "music-grove" or garden, denoting 
originally nothing evil or hateful. Certainly 
there is little evidence that it took its name 
from the drums beaten to drown the cries 
of the burning victims that passed through 
the fire to Molech. Afterward it was defiled 
bv idols and polluted by the sacrifices of 
Baal and the fixes of Molech. Then it be- 
came the place of abomination, the very 
gate or pit of hell. The pious kings defiled 
it, pouring into it all the filth of the city, 
till it became the "abhorrence" of Jerusa- 
lem. See Hell. 

Trachonitis (trdk'o-nVtis), a rugged re- 
gion. One of the five Roman provinces 
into which the district northeast of the 
Jordan was divided in New Testament 
times. It lay to the east of Itursea and 
Gaulonitis and to tbe south of Damascus, 
and included the remarkable region of the 
modern Lejah (see Argob) and part of the 

308 



western slopes of Jebel Hauran. The em- 
peror Augustus entrusted it to Herod the 
Great on the condition that he should clear 
it of robbers. Herod Phihp succeeded to 
the tetrarchy. Luke 3:1. He died a. d. 33, 
and the emperor Cahgula bestowed the 
province of Trachonitis upton Herod Agrippa 
I. Later it was part of the dominions of 
Herod Agrippa II., a. d. 53. 

Tradition. Judg. 6 : 13. Tradition is 
usually considered to imply that which was 
taught by oral instruction, in distinction 
from that which was committed to writing. 
At the beginning of the gospel the Christian 
doctrine was taught orally. Paul refers to 
"traditions" which he commands to be 
held fast, being as binding as any com- 
mandments delivered in anv otherVav. 2 
Thess. 2 : 15 ; 3 : 6. The Jews had really 
contradicted God's law by their traditions, 
which they pretended were of equal or even 
superior authority. For this our Lord re- 
proved them. Matt. 15 : 1-9. They attached 
more importance to their traditionarj' ex- 
position of the law than to the law itself, 
calling the latter water, the tradition the 
wine that must be mingled with it. Their 
traditions were subsequently collected into 
the Talmud. 

Transfiguration, Tbe. Matt. 17 : 1-13 ; 
Mark 9 : 2-13 ; Luke 9 : 28-36. Though tra- 
dition locates the transfiguration on Mount 
Tabor, there is httle to confirm this view, 
and modern scholars favor some spur of 
Mount Hermon. Jesus frequently went to 
the mountains to spend the night in praver. 
Matt. 14 : 23, 24 •, Luke 6 : 12 ; 21 : 37. The 
apostles are described as heavy with sleep, 
but as having kept themselves awake. Luke 
9 : 32. Moses the law-giver and Elijah the 
chief of the prophets both appear talking 
with Christ the source of the gospel, to show 
that they are all one and agree in one. 
Luke 9 : 31 adds the subject of their com- 
muning : "They spake of his decease 
which he should accomphsh at Jerusalem." 
Among the apostles the three favorite dis- 
ciples, Peter, James, and John, were the 
sole witnesses of the scene. The cloud 
which overshadowed the witnesses was 
bright or light-like, luminous, of the same 
kind as the cloud at the ascension. It 
is significant that at the end of the scene 
the disciples saw no man save Jesus only. 
Moses and Ehjah, the law and the promise, 
types and shadows, pass away ; the gospel, 
the fulfilment, the substance, Christ re- 
mains — the only one who can reheve the 
misery of earth and glorify our nature, 
Christ all in all. 

Tribes. Num. 13 : 2-15. The twelve 
sons of Jacob were heads of families, and 
each family a tribe. The two sons of 
Joseph were adopted by Jacob in place of 
Joseph. Gen. 48 : 5. So there were thirteen 
tribes. But in dividing Canaan there were 
only twelve, since the family of Lev was 
assigned to the Lord's service and had no 
separate lot or share in the division of the 
promised land. Josh. 13 : 7-14, 33. The 
tribes were continued under one head or 
nation until after the death of Solomon, 
when ten tribes revolted from Judah an^ 



TRINITY 



OP ma StSLS. 



fYRE 



Benjamin, and set up the northern king- 
dom — Israel. They were carried into cap- 
tivity in 721 B. c, and no account of their 
return is given. Judah was also carried 
into captivity, 606 to 588 b. c. ; but a rem- 
nant returned under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and 
Nehemiah, 536 B. c. and later. Tribes are 
referred to as being in the Christian church. 
Christ tells the apostles : "Ye . . shall sit 
upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel." Matt. 19 : 28 ; Luke 22 : 
30. James addresses his epistle "To the 
twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." 
Jas. 1:1. In the Revelation " 144,000 of all 
the tribes of the children of Israel " were 
sealed. Rev. 7 : 4. See Jews. 

Trinity. This word does not occur in 
Scripture. As a fact the Scripture reveals 
the doctrine of the Trinity in two ways : 
first in passages in which the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit are mentioned together as 
God ; and secondly, in passages which 
speak of each as divine. In the New Tes- 
tament clear evidence is given. See Matt. 
3 : 16, 17 ; 28 : 19 ; 1 Cor. 12 : 3-6 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 
14 ; Eph. 4:4-6; Tit. 3:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:2; 
Jude 20, 21, These passages, carefully read, 
are sufficient to prove that " the Godhead 
of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost is one, the glory equal, the majesty 
co-eternal ; such as the Father is, such is 
the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost ; the 
Father is God, the Son is God, and the 
Holy Ghost is God ; and yet they are not 
three Gods, but one God." 

T r o a s (tro'ds). A city in the northwest- 
ern part of Asia Minor, oh the sea-coast, six 
miles south of the entrance to the Helles- 
pont, and four miles south of the Homeric 
Troy. Alexandria Troas, as its name im- 
plies, owed its origin to Alexander the 
Great. Its port was excellent, and made 
Troas for many centuries the key of the 
commerce between Asia and Europe. Paul 
visited Troas twice, and perhaps three 
times. The first visit was on his second 
missionary journey. It was from Troas 
that, after the visit of the " man of Mace- 
donia,"' he sailed to carry the gospel into 
Europe. Acts 16 : 8-11. On his return jour- 
ney he stopped at Troas for eight days and 
restored Eutychus to life. Acts 20 : 5-10. 
Upon one visit he left his cloak and some 
books there. 2 Tim. 4 : 13. 

Trophimus {trdfi-mUs), foster-child. A 
native of Ephesus, Acts 21 : 29, and a con- 
vert to the gospel, probably under Paul's 
ministry. Acts 20:4. He became one of 
the apostle's companions and helpers in 
missionary travels and labors. 2 Tim. 4 : 20. 

Ti'umpets, Feast of. This feast— de- 
scribed in Num. 29 : 1-6 ; Lev. 23 : 24 — was 
the New Year's day of the civil year, com- 
ing on the first of Tisri (October), and was 
further called by the rabbins "the birth- 
day of the world," because in Tisri the late 
fruits were gathered and seed was sown. 
It was one of the seven days of holy con- 
vocation. The feast differed from the other 
feasts of new moon, which also had their 
trumpet-blowings over the burnt-offferings, 
by its being a day of rest and service. 

Tubal {tu'bal). Fifth son of Japheth, 



whose descendants probably peopled a 
country lying south of the Caucasus, be- 
tween the Black Sea and the Araxes, 
whose inhabitants were the Tibareni of 
the Greeks. Gen. 10 : 2. The Circassians, 
who inhabit this region, were slave-dealers, 
and they of Tubal traded in the persons or 
men. Ezek. 27 : 13 ; 38 : 2 : comp. Rev. 18 : 
13. 

Turtle-Dove. Ps. 74 : 19. By the Jew- 
ish law the poor who could pot afford 
a more costly sacrifice were pet-mitted to 
bring two turtle-doves or two young pig- 
eons. Lev. 12 : 6-8. As the former are not 
domesticated and breed everywhere in pro- 
digious numbers, this provision was a great 
boon to the needy. The outward circum- 
stances of Christ's parents are thus indi- 
cated in Luke 2 : 24. 

Tychicus (tyk'i-Ms). A companion of 
Paul, Acts 20 : 4, and evidently a devoted 
and faithful disciple. Eph. 6 : 21, 22 ; Col. 
4 : 7, 8. 

Tyrannus {ty-r6fn'nus\, tyrant The 
name of the Greek rhetorician of Ephesus 
in whose lecture-room Paul delivered dis- 
courses daily for two years. Acts 19 : 9. 

Tyre {tyre) and T y r u s {ty'rus). Heb. 
Tsor, "rock;" Arabic Sur. A celebrated 
city of Phoenicia, on the eastern coast of 
the Mediterranean Sea, 21 miles south of 
Sidon. Tyre was originally on an island, 
or perhaps two islands, about one mile 
long, and lying parallel to the shore at the 
distance of half a mile. There was also a 
city called "Palsetyrus" — "Old Tyre" — 
upon the mainland. The first Scripture 
mention of Tyre is in the time of Joshua, 
B. c. 1444, and it was then " a strong city." 
Josh. 19 : 29. It was coupled with the Zido- 
nians. Jer. 47 : 4 ; Isa. 23 : 2, 4, 12 ; Josh. 13 : 
6 ; Ezek. 32 : 30. The two cities Tyre and 
Sidon, being only 21 miles apart, were in- 
timately associated. Tyre, under king Hi- 
ram, held friendly relations with Israel, 
under David and Solomon. David's census 
extended thither to embrace the Jews. 2 
Sam. 24 : 7. The Tyrians furnished the 
timber for the temple and great buildings 
of Jerusalem. The cedars of Lebanon were 
floated from Tyre to Joppa, some 85 miles, 
and thence taken to Jerusalem. Tyrian 
artists also were skilful in the fine work re- 
quired. As a reward for his services, Hiram 
was presented with 20 cities in northern 
GaUlee, but he was not well pleased with 
them and called them "Cabul" — "dis- 
pleasing" or " despicable." 2 Sam. 5:11; 
1 Kings 5 : 1 ; 7 : 13 ; 9 : 11, 12 ; 1 Chron. 14 : 
1 ; 2 Chron. 2 : 2, 3, 11. Hiram and Solomon 
were also associated in commercial enter- 
prises. 1 Kings 9 : 27 ; 10 ; 11-22 ; 2 Chron. 
8 : 17, 18 ; 9 : 21. From Tyre came the many 
fatal influences toward idolatry which cor- 
rupted the chosen people. At a later period 
the friendly relations were changed to hos- 
tility. Tyre rejoiced in the distress of Israel, 
and God's prophet predicted the terrible 
overthrow of the proud heathen city. Isa. 
23 : 1, 5, 8, 15-17 ; Jer. 25 : 22 ; 27 : 3 ; 47 : 4 ; 
Ezek. 26 : 2-15 ; 27 : 2-8, 32 ; 29 : 18 ; Hos. 9 : 
13 ; Joel 3:4; Amos 1 : 9, 10 ; Zech. 9 : 2, 3 ; 
comp. Ps. 45 : 12 ; 83 : 7 ; 87 : 4. The proph- 

209 



TJLAl 



pmpi^'s Dicftoi^AkY 



tJZ 



ecies were notably fulfilled. Shalmaneser, 
king of Assyria, besieged Tyre in b. c. 721. 
The siege lasted for five years, but the city 
was not taken. Nebuchadnezzar besieged 
it for 13 years. But Tyre came under the 
Persian dominion and furnished that power 
with a large fleet. This excited the hostil- 
ity of Alexander the Great, who deter- 
mined to destroy the power of the city. 
Not being able to reach the walls with has 
engines, he collected together all the re- 
mains of the ancient city Palsetyrus— stones, 
timber, rubbish — and threw them into the 
narrow channel. Thxis was fulfilled ina most 
remarkable manner the prophecy of Eze- 
kiel. 26 : 3, 4, 12, 21. After a siege of seven 
months the city was taken. Some 8000 
men were slain in the massacre which fol- 
lowed ; 2000 were crucified, and 30,000 men, 
women, and children were sold into sla- 
very. The city was also set on fire by the 
victors. Zech. 9:4; Joel 3 : 7. Insular Tyre 
afterwards came under the Romans, and 
for ages continued a flourishing trading city. 
Matt. 11 : 21 ; 15 : 21 ; Mark 3:8; 7 : 24 ; 
Luke 6 : 17 ; 10 : 13 ; Acts 21 : 3. It fell 
finally in the hands of the Mohammedans, 
A. D. 1291 ; since then it has irrecoverably 
declined. The Hebrew prophets denounced 
fearful judgments against Tyre for her idol- 
atry and wickedness. Isa. 23 ; Ezek. 26 : 7- 
21 : 27 ; 28 : 1-19 ; 29 : 18. And how truth- 
fully their predictions have been accom- 
phshed may be seen in the existing ruins 
scattered along the shore, and the number 
of splendid columns lying in heai)s beneath 
the waves. This ancient city has indeed 
become like the top of a rock, " a place to 
spread nets upon ! " 

u 

TJlai {u'ldi or u'la-i), strong water* A 
river of Susiana, on whose banks Daniel 
saw his vision of the ram and he-goat. Dan. 
8 : 2-16. Recent explorations have shown 
that the river Choaspes (Kerkhan) divides 
about 20 miles above Susa. The eastern 
branch, which received the Shapur and 
fell into the Kuran, was probably the Ulai. 
This bifurcation of the stream explains the 
otherwise difficult passage, "I heard a 
man's voice between the banks of Ulai," 
Dan. 8 : 16 — that is, between the banks of 
the two streams of that divided river. 

Umcorn, reem, or high. Num. 23 : 22, A. 
v., but R. V. reads "wild ox." The word 
occurs seven times in the Old Testament. 
That fabulous creature the unicorn certainly 
Is not meant by the Hebrew reim. Critics 
are agreed that the passages mentioning it, 
correctly understood, require an animal 
with two horns. This animal was distin- 
guished for his ferocitv, Isa. 34 : 7, strength, 
Num. 23 : 22 ; 24 : 8, agility, Ps. 29 : 6, wild- 
ness, Job 39 : 9, as well as for being horned, 
and destroying with his horns. Deut. 33 : 
17 ; Ps. 22 : 21. For various reasons this 
animal could not have been the rhinoceros. 
Probably it was the now extinct aurochs 
(Bosprimigenius), a long-horned and power- 
rul ox, which existed in the forests of Europe 
210 



nearly, or quite, until the Middle Ages. An 
allied species of great size and strength is 
known to have existed in Palestine, as the 
bison {Bison bonasus), and some of these, 
now called aurochs, are still foimd in the 
forests of Lithuania. 

Ur, li^ht, land of light f Gen. 11 : 28, 31 ; 
15 : 7 ; Neh. 9 : 7. Some have identified the 
city Ur with Edessa, the modern Orfah. 
Others suppose it to be Warka, But late ex- 
plorations identify it with Mugheir, where 
considerable ruins exist. It is situated on 
the right bank of the Euphrates near the 
marshes, and in periods of inundation the 
ruins are surrounded by water. They are 
of an oval shape, and measure about half a 
mile from north to south. The temple 
ruins are in the form of a parallelogram 198 
by 133 feet. The lower story is supported 
by thick buttresses ; and the height of the 
whole is 70 feet. The exterior is faced 
with red kiln-baked bricks ; and the interior 
is constructed of bricks burnt or sun-dried. 
The name of Urukh, an early king, 2230 b. 
c, has been found upon the bricks; and 
the place was probably the capital of this 
monarch. The temple was dedicated to 
the moon-god Hurki : hence perhaps the 
town derived its name. 

Uriah {u-rVah), 2 Sam. 11 : 3, or Urias 
{u-rVas), Matt. 1 : 6, A. V. A Hittite by de- 
scent, but probably converted to Judaism, 
commander of one of the bands of David's 
army, and the husband of Bathsheba. His 
death was purposely brought about by an 
understanding between Joab and David, in 
order that David's guilt in the case of Bath- 
sheba might be concealed, and that he 
might obtain her for his wife. 

Uriin (U'rim), and Thummim {thUm'- 
mim), light and perfection. Denote some 
part of the high priest's apparel. When 
Aaron was arrayed, Moses himself put the 
Urim and Thummim into the breastplate. 
Ex. 28 : 13-30 ; Lev. 8 : 8. Nowhere in Scrip- 
ture are the Urim and 'Thummim described, 
and we do not know what they really 
were. 

Usury, by modem usage, means exorbi- 
tant or unlawful interest, but in the Scrip- 
tures it means simply interest. The law 
of Moses prohibited the Jews from taking 
any interest of each other for the loan of 
money or of anything else, though they 
were allowed to take it of foreigners. The 
exchangers of money were in the habit of 
recei\ing it at low interest and loaning it at 
high interest, taking the difference for their 
gain. Ezek. 22 : 12. The practice of usury is 
severely denounced in the Scriptures. Neh. 
5 : 7, 10 ; Ps. 15 : 5 ; Prov. 28 : 8. 

Uz {Hz), light sandy sail ? 1. A region and 
tribe in the northeastern part of Arabia 
deserta, between the Euphrates, Palestine, 
and Idumea, probably including part of 
Bashan; called by Ptolemy Ausitis. Job 
was an inhabitant of "the land of Uz," 
which was probably an extensive district, 
and subject to the Edomites. Job 1:1; Jer. 
25 : 20 ; Lam. 4 : 21. 2. A son of Aram. Gen. 
10 : 23 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 17. 3. The son of Di- 
shan, the Horite. Gen. 86 : 28 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 
42. 



U221AS 



6F TSE BtBLK 



VULTURfi 



U z z i a h (uz-zl'ah), might of Jehovah. 1. 
The son and successor of Amaziah, king of 
Judah ; called Azariah in 2 Kings 14 : 21 and 
elsewhere ; began to reign at 16, and reigned 
52 years, b. c. 808-756. His career was most 
prosperous. He walked in the ways of his 
father David, and as a consequence was 
blessed with victory over his enemies, and 
great fame and love. But he was puffed up 
by success so long continued, and presumed 
to burn incense on the altar Uke the priests. 
Azariah, the high priest, and 80 others 
opposed him; but God most effectually 
checked him by making him a leper, dwell- 
ing in a separate house until death. 2 Kings 
15 : 1-7 ; 2 Chron. 26. A great earthquake oc- 
curred in his reign. Amos 1:1; Zech. 14 : 
5. There are five persons of this name 
mentioned in the Bible. 



Vale, Valley. Five Hebrew words are 
translated "vale" or "valley." 1. Emek, 
signifying a "deep" broad valley, as the 
valley of Achor, Aijalon, Elah, Jezreel, Suc- 
coth, etc. 2. Gai or ge, signifying a " burst- 
ing," and used to designate narrow ravines 
or glens, as of Hinnom or Salt. Deut. 34 : 6. 
3. i\rac/iaZ,meaninga "wMy-bed, "filled with 
water in winter, but dry in summer. Such 
beds or valleys were Chereth, Eshcol, Sorek, 
Zered, etc. 4. Bik'ah, properly a " cleft," 
but applied to a broader space than a cleft or 
valley, and meaning sometimes a "plain," 
as that between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon 
and Megiddo. Josh. 11 : 17 ; 13 : 17 ; Zech. 
12 : 11. 5. Has-Shephdah, wrongly rendered 
"vale" in A. V., but "lowland " in R. V., 
meant a broad tract of low hills between 
the m,ountains of Judah and the coast- 
plain. Deut. 1:7; Josh. 10 : 40. 

Vaslxti {vdsh'ti), beautiful. The deposed 
" queen " of Ahasuerus. Esth. 1. B. c. 483. 

Vine. The first mention of the vine 
occurs in Gen. 9 : 20, 21. It was cultivated 
in Egypt. Gen. 40 : 9-11 ; Ps. 78 : 47. The 
vines of Palestine were celebrated both for 
luxuriant growth and for the immense 
clusters of grapes which they produced, 
which were sometimes carried on a staff 
bet\veeTi two men, as in the case of the 
spies. Num. 13 : 23. Special mention is made 
in the Bible of the vines of Eshcol, Num. 
13 : 24 ; 32 : 9, of Sibmah, Heshbon, and Elea- 
leh, Isa. 16 : 8, 9, 10 ; Jer. 48 : 32, and of En- 
gedi. Song of Sol. 1 : 14. To dwell under 
the vine and fig tree is an emblem of do- 
mestic happiness and peace, 1 Kings 4 : 25 ; 
Ps. 128 : 3 ; Micah 4:4; the rebellious people 
of Israel are compared to " wild grapes," 
"an empty vine," " the degenerate plant of 
a strange vine," etc. Isa. 5 : 2, 4 ; Jer. 2 : 21 ; 
Hos. 10 : 1. It is a vine which our Lord 
selects to show the spiritual union which 
subsists between himself and his members. 
John 15 : 1-6. The vine trailed on the 
ground or upon supports. This latter mode 
of cultivation appears to be alluded to by 
Ezekiel. Ezek. 19 : 11, 12. The vintage, 
which formerly was a season of general 



festivity, began in September. The towns 
were deserted ; the people lived among the 
vineyards in the lodges and tents. Comp. 
Judg. 9 : 27 ; Isa. 16 : 10 ; Jer. 25 : 30. The 
grapes were gathered with shouts of joy by 
the "grape gatherers," Jer. 25 : 30, and put 
into baskets. See Jer. 6 : 0. They were then 
carried on the head and shoulders, or slung 
upon a yoke, to the "wine-press." The 
vineyard, which was generally on a hill, 
Isa. 5:1; Jer. 31 : 5 ; Amos 9 : 13, was sur- 
rounded by a wall or hedge in order to 
keep out the wild boars, Ps. 80 : 13, jackals 
and foxes. Num. 22 : 24 ; Neh. 4:3; Song 
of Sol. 2 : 15 ; Ezek. 13 : 4, 5 ; Matt. 21 : 33. 
Within the vineyard wc.;; one or more tow- 
ers of stone in which the vine-dressers 
lived. Isa. 1:3; 5:2; Matt. 21 : 33. The 
vat, which was dug. Matt. 21 : 33, or hewn 
out of the rocky soil, and the press, were 
part of the vineyard furniture. Isa. 5 : 2. 

Vine of Sodom. Only in Deut. 32 : 32. 
Josephus describes fruits growing near the 
Dead Sea, " which indeedf resemble edible 
fruit in color, but on being plucked by the 
hand are dissolved into smoke and ashes." 
These are the apples of Sodom of whicli the 
poets sing, and which are supposed to be 
mentioned in the above passage. If we are 
to interpret Deuteronomy and Josephus lit- 
erally, tho colocynth seems best to answer 
the conditions. 

Viper. This word in the Old Testament 
possibly designates some particular species 
of hissinc and venomous serpent, but its 
exact application cannot be determined. 
In the New Testament thp Greek word thus 
rendered wac used for any poisonous snake. 
The viper which fastened on Paul's hand. 
Acts 28 : 1=6, was doubtless the snake of that 
name. Viper a aspis, still common in the 
Mediterranean islands. It has now disaj)- 
peared from 1 lalta with the woods to which 
It is partial. The viper is an emblem of 
whatever is deceitful and destructive. Matt. 
: : 7 ; 12 : 34 ; 23 : 33 ; Luke 3 : 7. 

Vulture. In Lev. 11 : 14, Deut. 14 : 13, 
Isa. 34 : 15, in place of this word, we should 
probably read " black kite," Milvus migrans. 
This is a bird which, except in the winter 
months, collects in Palestine in great num- 
bers and is very sociable in its habits, ac- 
cording to the reference in Isaiah. Another 
Hebrew word rendered "vulture," R. V. 
" falcon," in Job 28 : 7, is elsewhere correctly 
rendered kite. It is a striking instance of 
the accuracy of the Scripture writers that, 
while the peculiar faculty for discovering 
their food which carrion-devourers possess 
is i)opularly attributed to the sense of smell, 
the Bible rightly attributes it to sight. In 
the book of Job the characteristic of the 
eagle is that "her eyes behold afar off." 
Job 28 : 7 refers to the same peculiarity, 
" There is a path which the vulture's eye 
hath not seen," implying that its vision is 
most acute and penetrating. It is well 
proved that biros of prey discern their 
booty at vast distances, tnat the eager flight 
of one is observed and followed by another, 
and so on, till many are gathered together 
wheresoever the carcase is. 

2U 



WAtl 



PEOPLE'S biCflONAkY 



WEAVING 



W 

War. The ancient battles were truly 
murderous. Scarcely ever was any quar- 
ter given, except where the vanquished 
were retained as slaves. 2 Chron. 13 : 
17. Enemies were then, as now, sur- 
prised and overcome by unexpected di- 
visions of the forces, by ambushes, and 
by false retreats. Gen. 14 : 15 ; Josh. 8 : 
12 ; Judg. 20 : 36-39 ; 2 Kings 7 : 12. In 
lack of artillery, unwieldy machines for 
casting heavy stones and other destructive 
missiles were invented. Uzziah " made in 
Jerusalem engines invented by cunning 
men, to be on the towers and upon the bul- 
warks, to shoot aiTows and great stones 
withal." 2 Chron. 2G : 15. There was no 
part of the ancient military preparations 
more terrible than chariots. Ex. 14 : 7 ; 
Deut. 20 : 1 ; Josh. 17 : 16 ; Judg. 4 : 3. They 
were in common use wherever there was 
any cavalry. 2 Sam. 10 : 18 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 
4 ; 2 Chron. 12 : 3 ; 14 : 9. Walls and towers 
were used in fortifications, and the latter 
were guarded bv soldiers, and are called 
"garrisons." 2 Sam. 8:0; Ezek. 26:11. 
Various passages lead to the opinion that 
divisions of the army were common, as in 
modern times. Gen.' 14 : 15 ; Judg. 7 : 16 ; 
1 Sam. 11 : 11, The most frequent division 
of the host was into tens, hundreds, and 
thousands, and each of these had its com- 
mander or captain. Judg. 20 : 10 ; 1 Sam. 
8 : 12 ; 2 Kings 11 : 4. Among the Hebrews 
these divisions had some reference to the 
several families, and were under the heads 
of families as their officers. 2 Chron. 25 : 
5 ; 26 : 12. The captains of hundreds and 
of thousands were of high rank, or, so to 
speak, staff officers, who were admitted to 
share in the councils of war. 1 Chron. 13 : 
1. The whole army had its commander-in- 
chief or captain, who was over the host, 
and its scribe or keeper of the muster-roll. 
1 Kings 4 : 4 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 15. 16 ; 27 : 32- 
34 ; 2 Chron. 17 : 14 ; 26 : 11. In Isa. 33 : 18 
the words translated " he that counted the 
towers" probably indicate what we should 
call a chief engineer. Under David the 
army of 288,000 men was divided into 
twelve corps, each of which was conse- 
quently 24,000 strong and had its own gen- 
eral. 1 Chron. 27. Under Jehoshaphat this 
was altered, and there were five unequal 
corps, under as many commanders. 2 
Chron. 17 : 14-19. The cohort had 500 or 
600 men, and the legion embraced ten co- 
horts. The hght troops were provided with 
arms which they used at some distance 
from the enemy, such as bows and arrows. 
They are designated in 2 Chron. 14 : 8 ; 
while the heavy-armed were those who 
bore shield and spear. 1 Chron. 12 : 24. 
The light troops of the army of Asa were 
taken principally from the tribe of Benja- 
min because of their extraordinary accu- 
racy of aim. Judg. 20 : 16. See Arms, 
Armor. The troops were excited to ardor 
and bravery by addresses from their priests, 
who were "commanded to appeal to them. 
Deut. 20 : 2. In later times kings them- 

212 



selves were accustomed to harangue their 
armies. 2 Chron. 13 : 4. Finally, perhaps, 
after the sacrifices had been offered, tne 
summons was given by the holy trumpets. 
Num. 10 : 9, 10 ; 2 Chron. 13 : 12-14. It was 
the practice of the Greeks, when they were 
within half a mile of the enemy, to sing 
their war song. A similar custom probably 
prevailed among the Jews. 2 Chron. 20 : 
21. Next followed the shout, or war cry, 
which the Romans accompanied with the 
noise of shields and spears struck violently 
together. This war cry was common iu 
the East, as it is to this day among the 
Turks. It was the " alarm " or " shout " so 
often mentioned in Scripture. 1 Sam. 17 : 
52 ; 2 Chron. 13 : 15 ; Job 39 : 25 ; Jer. 4 : 19. 

Ward. A prison, or an apartment of it. 
Gen. 40 : 3 ; Acts 12 : 10. Also a garrison or 
mihtary post, Neh. 12 : 25, or a class or de- 
tachment of persons for any particular ser- 
vice. 1 Chron. 9 : 23 ; 25 : 8 ; Neh. 13 : 30. 

Washing of the Hands and Feet. 
This was rendered necessary by oriental 
costoms and climate. The hands should be 
clean, for all persons at table put their fin- 
gers into the same dish. The feet should 
be washed because the sandals aflbrded 
little protection against soil ; and besides, 
the feet would be hot. The words of Christ 
against the handwashings of the Pharisees 
was directed against it as a religious observ- 
ance. Mark 7:3; Matt. 15 : 2 ; Luke 11 : 
38. The washing by the host of the feet of 
the guest was a mark of respect, 1 Sam. 25 : 
41 ; Luke 7 : 38, 44 ; John 13 : 5-14 ; but 
usually water was provided and the guests 
washed their own feet, or had them washed 
by sert^ants. Gen. 18 : 4 ; Judg. 19 : 21. 

Watches of the Night. The original 
di%asion of the night was into three watches 
— " the beginning of the watches,"from sun- 
set to 10 o'clock. Lam. 2 : 19 ; "the middle 
watch," from 10 to 2 o'clock, Judg. 7 : 19 ; 
and "the morning watch," from 2 o'clock 
to sunrise, Ex. 14 : 24 ; 1 Sam. 11 : 11— but 
after the captivity the Jews adopted the 
custom of Rome and Greece, which divided 
the twelve hours of the night into four 
watches, beginning with 6 in the afternoon 
— "even," from 6 to P o'clock; "mid- 
night," from 9 to 12; •'cock -crowing," 
from 12 to 3 ; and " morning," from 3 to 6. 
Matt. 14 : 25 ; Mark 13 : 35 ; Luke 12 : 38. 

W^easel (chdled) occurs only in Lev. 11 : 
29, in the list of unclean animals; but the 
Hebrew word o light more probably to be 
translated "mole." Moles are common in 
Palestine. 

Weaving. The art of wea\ing was prac- 
tised with great skill by the Egyptians at a 
very early period. The "vestures of fine 
Unen " such as Joseph wore. Gen. 41 : 42, 
were the product of Egyptian looms. The 
Israelites attained a proficiency which en- 
abled them to execute the hangings of the 
tabernacle, Ex. 35 : 35 ; 1 Chron. 4 : 21, and 
other artistic textures. The textures pro- 
duced by the Jewish weavers were very 
various. The coarser kinds, such as tent- 
cloth, sack-cloth, and the " hairy garments 
of the poor," were made of goat's or camel's 
hair. Ex. 26 : 7 ; Matt. 3 : 4. Wool was exten- 



WEDDING 



OF THE BIBLE. 



WINE 



sively used for ordinarj'^ clothing, Lev. 13 : 
47 ; Prov. 27 : 26 ; 31 : 13 ; Ezek. 27 : 18 ; 
while for finer work flax was used, varying 
in quality, and producing the different 
textures described in the Bible as " Unen " 
and "fine linen." The mixture of wool 
and flax in cloth intended for a garment 
was forbidden. Lev. 19 : 19 ; Peut. 22 : 11. 

Wedding. Matt. 22 : 3, A. V. See 
Marriage. 

Week. There can be no doubt about 
the great antiquity of measuring time by a 
period of seven days. Gen. 8 : 10 ; 29 : 27. 
The origin of this division of time has given 
birth to much speculation. The week and 
the Sabbath are as old as man himseif. 
They who embrace this view support it by 
a reference to the six days' creation and 
the divine rest on the seventh. Whether 
the week gave its sacredness to the num- 
ber seven, or whether the ascendency of 
that number helped to determine the di- 
mensions of the week, it is impossible to 
say. The weekly division was adopted by 
the Semitic races, and, in the later period 
of their history at least, by the Egyptians. 
So far from the week being a division of 
time without ground in nature, there was 
much to recommend its adoption. It is 
clear that if not in Paul's time, yet very 
soon after, the Roman world had adopted 
the hebdomadal division. 

Weeks, Feast of. Ex. 34 : 22. Pente- 
cost. 

Wells were necessary in a dry and hot 
country like Palestine. They were deep, 
John 4 : 11, and difficult both to dig and 
preserve, and hence were a valuable part 
of the husbandman's property. Num. 20 : 
17-19. They were sometimes owned in 
common. Gen. 29 : 2, 3. To protect them 
from the sand and from being used by oth- 
ers, they were covered, usually with a stone, 
and surrounded with a low wall. Gen. 29 : 
2, 8. To stop them up was, and still is, re- 
garded as an act of hostility. Gen. 26 : 15, 
and to invade the right of property in them 
was often the cause of sharp contention. 
Gen. 21 : 25. The water was generally 
drawn by pitchers and a rope. The well 
naturally became the halting-place of the 
traveller, Gen. 24 : 11 ; the camping-place 
of armies, Judg. 7 : 1, etc. ; and it furnished 
an appropriate emblem of rich blessings. 
Jer. 2 : 13 ; 17 : 13. See Jacob's Well. 

Whale. The Greek word translated 
"whale" in Matt. 12:40, A. V., means a 
large fish, or a sea monster. So, also, in 
Gen. 1 : 21 the word is generic. The orig- 
inal word representing " whale " is often 
translated "dragon" or " leviathan," and 
according to the derivation of the Hebrew, 
the word denotes a creature of great length, 
without being restricted to marine animals. 
Neither the Old Testament nor the New 
Testament, when correctly rendered, affirms 
that it was a whale which swallowed Jo- 
nah, but " a great fish." Jonah 1 : 17 ; Matt. 
12 : 40. The R. V. reads the same as the A. 
v., but in the margin reads, " Greek, sea 
monster." The creature referred to is very 
likely to have been the white shark, which 
is abundantly capable of such a feat. The 
14 



whale is, however, occasionally found in 
the Mediterranean Sea. See Jonah. 

Wheat. In Palestine this most impor- 
tant of all grains was sown after barley- 
late in the fall. It was not only scattered 
broadcast and then ploughed, harrowed, 
or trodden in, Isa. 32 : 20, but it seems, ac- 
cording to the Hebrew of Isa. 28:25, to 
have been planted in rows or drills, as it 
certainly often is at present in Syria. Wheat 
is still produced for export east of the Jor- 
dan. Ezek. 27 : 17 ; Deut. 8:8. In the days 
of Jacob this grain was already so much 
cultivated in Mesopotamia that "wheat 
harvest" denoted a well-known season. 
Gen. 30 : 14. The many-eared variety, or 
mummy wheat, is referred to in Pharaoh's 
dream. Gen. 41 ; 22. In the A. V. and R. 
V. this grain is often mentioned under the 
general name of " corn." 

Wilderness, The, in which the Israel- 
ites spent 40 years, between Egypt and Ca- 
naan, is called sometimes the " great and 
terrible wilderness" by way of eminence. 
Deut. 1 : 1 ; 8 : 2 ; Josh. 5:6; Neh. 9 : 19, 21 ; 
Ps. 78 : 40, 52 ; 107 : 4 ; Jer. 2:2. In general 
it may be identified with the peninsula of 
Sinai, the triangular region between the 
Gulf of Akabah, on the east, and the Gulf 
of Suez and Egypt on the west. See Sinai. 
In this region there are several smaller wil- 
dernesses, as Etham, Paran, Shur, Zin. 
What is known distinctively as the " wilder- 
ness of the Wandering " is the great central 
limestone plateau between the granite re- 
gion of Sinai on the south, the sandy desert 
on the north, and the valley of the Arabah 
on the east. The explorations of travellers 
and the British Ordnance Survey have 
made this region quite well known. The 
route of the Israelites from Egypt to Ka- 
desh can be traced with reasonable accu- 
racy. Instead of entering the Promised 
Land immediately from Kadesh, they were 
driven back into the wilderness for their 
disobedience, and there wandered for 40 
years. They probably lived a nomad life as 
do the Bedouin Arabs of the present day. 

Wine. Gen. 9 : 20, 21. In the Bible, 
wine is spoken of as a blessing to a countrj'. 
Gen. 27 : 28, 37 ; Deut. 7 : 13 ; 33 : 28 ; Hosea 
2 : 8, 22. Our Saviour turned water into 
wine at a marriage feast, and directed it to 
be used in celebrating the Lord's supper. 
John 2 : 7-10 ; Matt. 26 : 27-29. The Bible 
represents wine as having intoxicating 
qualities, and it has many warnings in 
regard to its use. Noah was made drunk 
by it, and so was Lot. Gen. 9 : 26 ; 19 : 32- 
35. The ruler of the wedding feast where 
Jesus turned water into wine alluded to the 
intoxicating nature of wine. John 2 : 10. 
Drunkenness is condemned as a sin. 1 Cor, 
5 : 11 ; 6 : 10. The common wine required 
to be "refined" or strained previous to be- 
ing brought to the table. Isa. 25 : 6. Wine 
was also made from pomegranate as well 
as grape. Song of Sol. 8 : 2. In Palestine 
the vintage comes in September, and is 
celebrated with great rejoicings. The ripe 
fruit is gathered in baskets, Jer. 6 : 9. and 
carried to the wine-press. It is then placed 
in the upper one of the two vats or recep- 

213 



WINE-PRESS 



PEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



WORD 



tacles of the wine-press and is subjected to 
"treading," which has prevailed in all ages 
in oriental and south-European countries. 
Neh. 13 : 15 ; Job 24 : 11 ; Isa. 16 : 10 ; Jer. 25 : 
30 ; 48 : 33 ; Amos 9 : 13 ; Eev. 19 : 15. A cer- 
tain amount of juice exuded from the ripe 
fruit from its own pressinre before the tread- 
ing commenced. This appears to have 
been kept separate from the rest of the 
juice, and to have formed the " new " or 
"sweet wine" noticed in Acts 2 : 13. The 
" treading " was by men. They encouraged 
one another by shouts. Isa. 16 : 9, 10 ; Jer. 
25 : 30 ; 48 : 33. Their legs and garments 
were dyed red with the jince. Gen. 49 : 11 ; 
Isa. 63 : 2, 3. The juice ran by an aperture 
into the lower vat, or was at once collected 
in vessels. Wine is said to produce different 
effects: as the "darkly flashing" or "red 
eye," Gen. 49:12, a mocker, Prov. 20:1, 
the imbridled tongue, Isa. 28 : 7, the excite- 
ment of the spirit, Prov. 31 : 6 ; Isa. 5 : 11 ; 
Zech. 9 : 15 ; 10 : 7, the enchained affections 
of its votaries, Hos. 4 : 11, the perverted 
judgment, Prov. 31 : 5 ; Isa. 28 : 7, the in- 
decent exposure, Hab. 2 : 15, 16, and the 
sickness resulting from the heat (chemdh, 
A. v., "bottles") of wine. Hos. 7 : 5. The 
allusions to the effects of ttrosh are confined 
to a single passage, but this a most decisive 
one, viz., Hos. 4 : 11, " Whoredom and wine 
(yayin) and new wine {ttrosh) take away the 
heart,*' where tirosh appea,rs as the chmax 
of engrossing influences, in immediate con- 
nection with yayin. It has been disputed 
whether the Hebrew wine was fermented : 
but the impression produced by a general 
review of the above notices is that the He- 
brew words indicating wine refer to ferment- 
ed, intoxicating wine. Mingled liquor was 
prepared for high festivals, Prov. 9 : 2, 5, 
and occasions of excess. Prov. 23 : 30 ; Isa. 
5:22. The wine "mingled with myrrh," 
given to Jesus, was designed to deaden 
pain, Mark 15 : 23, and the spiced pome- 
granate wine prepared by the bride. Song 
of Sol. 8 : 2, may well have been of a mild 
character. In the New Testament the 
"new" or "sweet wine," noticed in Acts 
2 : 13, could not be new wine in the proper 
sense of the term, inasmuch as about eight 
months must have elapsed between the 
vintage and the feast of Pentecost. It had 
also the power to make persons drunk, at 
least in public estimation. The only wines 
of which we have special notice belonged 
to Syria ; these were the wine of Helbon, 
Ezek. 27 : 18, and the wine of Lebanon, 
famed for its aroma. Hos. 14 : 7. Wine was 
produced on occasions of ordinary hospi- 
taUty, Gen. 14 : 18, and at festivals, such as 
marriages. John 2 : 3. Under the Mosaic 
law wine formed the usual drink offering 
that accompanied the daily sacrifice, Ex. 
29 : 40, the presentation of the first-fruits. 
Lev. 23 : 13, and other offerings. Num. 15 :5. 
Tithe was to be paid of wine, as of other 
products. The priest was also to receive 
first-fruits of wine, as of other articles. 
Deut. 18 : 4 ; comp. Ex. 22 : 29. The use of 
wine at the paschal feast was not enjoined 
by the law, but became an established cus- 
tom, in the post-Babylonian period. Some 

214 



Biblical scholars hold that the Bible men- 
tions two kinds of \\'lne, one unfermented 
and one fermented and intoxicating. 

Wine-press. Num. 18 : 27 ; Deut. 15 : 14 ; 
Judg. 7 : 25 ; Hos. 9 : 2. The wine-presses of 
the Jews consisted of two receptacles or 
vats placed at different elevations, in the 
upper one of which the grai)es were trod- 
den, Isa. 63 : 3 ; Lam, 1 : 15 ; Job 24 : 11, 
while the lower one received the expressed 
juice. The two vats are mentioned to- 
gether only in Joel 3 : 13 : " The press is 
full: the fats overflow"— the upper vat 
being full of fruit, the lower one overflow- 
ing with the must. The two vats were usu- 
ally hewn out of the solid rock. Isa. 5 : 2, 
margin ; Matt. 21 : 33. Ancient wine-presses, 
so constructed, are still to be seen in Pales- 
tine. 

Winter. In Palestine, part of autumn 
and the seasons of seed-time and cold, ex- 
tending from the beginning of September 
to the beginning of March, were called 
" winter." Gen. 8 : 22 ; Ps. 74 : 17 ; Zech. 14 : 
8 ; Jer. 36 : 22. The cold of winter is not 
usually very severe, though the north 
winds, from the middle of December to the 
middle of February, are sharp. Snow falls 
more or less, but seldom hes upon the 
ground except in the mountains. Ps. 147 : 
17. In shady places the ice will occasion- 
ally bear a man's weight, but thaws as soon 
as the sun rises upon it. In the early part 
of April the spring may be said to have 
arrived. Song of Sol. 2 : 11. 

W^itch and Wizard. Exod. 22 : 18, in 
the R. v., " sorceress." Lev. 19 : 31 ; 20 : 6, 
27; Deut. 18:11; 1 Sam. 28 : 3, 9 ; 2 Kings 23 : 
24 ; 2 Chron. 33 : 6 ; Isa. 8 : 19 ; 19 : 3. The 
witch of Endor was widely known as " one 
that had a familiar spirit," and was thereby 
professedly able to consult souls from the 
spirit world. Witchcraft was therefore a 
pretended converse with demons and the 
spirits of the departed. To this the ancient 
witches joined the arts of fortune-telhng 
and divining. Their unlawful arts were 
akin to the others forbidden in Deut. 18 : 10, 
11: "There shall not be found among you 
any one that maketh his son or his daugh- 
ter to pass through the fire, or that useth 
divination, or an observer of times or an 
enchanter or a witch [R. V. " sorcerer"] or 
a charmer or a consulter with familiar 
spirits or a wizard or a necromancer." Super- 
stition was prevalent in the East in the days 
of Moses, and continues to be so now. 

Wolf. The Hebrew zeeb, "wolf," was so 
called from its tawny color. It is the com- 
mon Cam's lupus, still found in some parts 
of Palestine. Isa. 11:6; 65 : 25 ; Jer. 5:6; 
Hab. 1:8. It is of an unsated appetite ; 
and often indiscriminately killing sheep 
and goats, apparently rather to satisfy its 
fierce nature than its hunger. Zeph. 3:3; 
Matt. 7 : 15 ; John 10 : 12. Persecutors are 
compared to wolves. Matt. 10 : 16 ; Acts 
20 : 29. The peaceful reign of the Messiah 
is spoken of under the metaphor of the 
wolf dwelling with the lamb. Isa. 11 : 6 ; 
65:25. 

Word (logos). The, is one of the titles of 
Jesus Ghnst. The term occurs only in the 



WORLD 



OF mt: msLR 



YEAH 



writings of John. John 1 : 1-14 ; 1 John 1 : 
1 ; Rev. 19 : 13. 

World. This word in the A. V. is the 
translation of five Hebrew and four Greek 
words. It is therefore not always plain in 
what sense it is used. The Hebrew terms 
have these literal meanings : " The earth," 
"rest," "the grave," Isa. 38:11; "the 
world," corresponding to aion in the New 
Testament, or that which is finite, tempo- 
rary, Job 11:17; "the veiled," unlimited 
time, whether past or future ; used very 
frequently, and generally translated " for- 
ever;" and, finally, the poetical term for 
" world," which occurs some 37 times, but 
in various meanings which are easily un- 
derstood. When the Hebrews desired to 
express the universe they employed a 
phrase Uke " heaven and 'earth arid the 
sea, and all that in them is." Ex. 20 : 11. 
In the New Testament the Greek words 
are equally diverse : 1. Aion, " duration," 
thus used of time past, Luke 1 : 70, of time 
present, with the idea of evil, both moral 
and physical. Mark 4 : 19. Hence " chil- 
dren of this world," or worldly men, Luke 
16 : 8 ; and so Satan is called"" the god of 
this world." 2 Cor. 4 : 4. Aion is also put 
for endless duration, eternity, 1 Tim. 6 : 16, 
to signify the material world as created by 
the deity, Heb. 11 : 3 ; also the world to 
come, the kingdora of the Messiah. 2. Ge, 
the earth, in contrast to the heavens. Rev. 
13 : 3. 3. Kosmos, used in several senses : 
(a) the universe, the heavens, and the 
earth, Matt. 13 : 35, and thence for the in- 
habitants of the universe, 1 Cor. 4 : 9, and 
an aggregate. Jas. 3 : 6. (b) This lower 
world as the abode of man, John 16 : 18 ; 
the inhabitants of the earth or mankind. 
Matt. 5 : 14. (c) The present world, as op- 
posed to the kingdom of Christ, John 12 : 
25 ; specifically, the wealth and enjoyments 
and cares of this world, Matt, 16 : 26, and 
so for those who seek the opposite things 
to the kingdom of God, the worldhngs. 
John 15 : 19. 4, Oikoumene, the inhabited 
earth, Matt. 24 : 14, the people of it, Acts 
17 : 31, sometimes the Roman empire, the 
then civilized world, Acts 17 : 6, including 
Palestine and adjacent parts, Luke 2:1; 
Acts 11 : 28. The Jews distinguished two 
worlds, or seons, the present seon to the ap- 
pearance of the Messiah, and the future 
aeon, or the Messianic era, which is to last 
forever. The closing days of the present 
order of things were called " the last days." 
Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1; Acts 2 : 17. The same 
phraseology is found in the New Testament, 
but the dividing-line is marked by the sec- 
ond instead of the first advent of the Mes- 
siah, Matt. 12 : 32 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 11 ; Gal. 4:3; 
Heb. 1:2; 6 : 5 ; 9 : 26. 

Wormwood, At least five species of 
this vi&nt (Artemisia) are found in the Holy 
Land, and are distinguished for intense 
bitterness. Hence this word is often joined 
with or used in the same sense as " gall" 
and " hemlock," to denote what is offensive 
and nauseous. Deut. 29 : 18 ; Pro v. 5:4; 
Amos 5 : 7 ; 6 : 12. To be obliged to use it 
as food expresses the extreme of sufiering. 
Jer. 9 : 15 ; 28 : 15 ; Lam. 3 : 15, 19. 



Writing is either ideographic or pho- 
netic. In ideographic writing the signs used 
represent the ideas themselves, either pic- 
torially by direct imitation of the object, 
or symbolically, as when the picture of an 
eye is used to convey the idea of sight or 
knowledge, and the picture of a lion the 
idea of courage. In phonetic writing the 
signs simply represent the sounds of which 
a word is composed. Ideographic writing 
— that is, writing by pictures or in hiero- 
glyphics — is an art of very ancient date. 
Through all the Mosaic history books and 
writing are mentioned as in famihar use. 
Ex. 17 : 14 ; 2 Sam. 11 : 14 ; 1 Kings 21 : 8, 9, 
11 ; 2 Kings 10 : 1, 2, 6, 7. The alphabet 
which the Jews used was based upon the 
Phoenician, and that ui)on some earlier 
alphabet, and underwent various changes. 
The materials used in writing were tablets 
of stone, Ex, 31 : 18 ; 32 : 15, 16, 19 ; 34 : 1, 
4, 28, 29, or boxwood and brass, or plaster, 
Deut, 27 : 2, 3 ; Josh, 8 : 32, or skin, which 
was made into the finest parchment or vel- 
lum. For hard materials an iron stylus or 
euCTaver's tool was used, Job 19 : 24 ; "Ps. 45 : 
1 ; Isa, 8:1; Jer. 8:8; 17 : 1, but for parch- 
ment a reed pen and ink. 2 Cor. 3:3; 2 
John 12 ; 3 John 13. The parchment was 
not put in leaves, forming a book, but put 
together in long rolls. The practice of em- 
ploying an amanuensis was quite com- 
mon in ancient days as it is now. Hence 
Paul gives as an authentication of his let- 
ters a few words written with his own hand. 
1 Cor. 16 : 21 ; Col. 4 : 18 ; 2 Thess. 3 : 17. 
This fact also explains Rom. 16 : 22. The 
size of the apostle's writing is indicated. 
Gal. 6 : 11. The ink of the ancients was 
made of pulverized charcoal or the black 
of burnt ivory and water, with the addition 
of some kind of gum. The ink of the East 
at the present day is a much thicker sub- 
stance than ours, but is not permanent; 
a wet sponge will obliterate the finest of 
their writing. The inkhom was, and is, a 
long tube containing the reed pens, with a 
Uttle case fastened at the side to hold the 
ink. The whole is thrust into the girdle. 



Yam. 1 Kings 10 : 28 ; 2 Chron. 1 : 16, 
A. V. The Hebrew received text is ob- 
scure. The R. V. reads, " And the king's 
merchants received them [the horses] in 
droves, each drove at a price." 

Year. The Jewish year had two com- 
mencements. The religious year began 
with the month Abib — April ; the civil with 
Tisri— October, The year was solar. There 
were two seasons, summer and winter, Ps. 
74 : 17 ; Zech, 14 : 8 ; Jer. C6 : 22 ; Amos 3 : 15. 
The months were lunar, of 30 days each, and 
twelve in number, although a thirteenth 
was necessarily intercalated six times in 
every 19 years. It was called Ve-adar. The 
festivals, holy days, and fasts of the year 
were : 1, The feast of the Passover, the 14th 
day of the first month, 2, The feast of un- 
leavened bread, in the same month, from 
the 15th to 21st, inclusive. 3. The feast of 

215 



YEAR, SABBATICAL 



PEOPLE'S DtCTtONAPY 



2EBEDEE 



Pentecost, called also feast of harvest and 
"day of first fruits," on the day which 
ended seven weeks, counted from the 16th 
of the first month, that day being excluded. 
4. The feasi of trumpets,' on the first day 
of the seventh month. 5. The day of atone- 
ment, a fast, on the tenth day of the sev- 
enth month. 6. The feast of tabernacles, 
or of gathering, from the 15th to the 22d 
day, inclusive, of the seventh month. The 
post-Mosaic festivals are Purim, in the 
twelfth month of Adar, 13th to 15th day ; 
Dedication, on the 25th day of the ninth 
month. See Appendix. 

Year, Sabbatical. Every seventh year 
all agricultural labor was suspended, "and 
spontaneous productions were left to the 
poor, the traveller, and the wild beasts. 
Lev. 25 : 1-7. This was (1) for the sake of 
the ground ; (2) for the preservation of wild 
beasts ; and (3) to make the people provi- 
dent and sensible of dependence. The 
people could fish, hunt, take care of bees 
and flocks, repair buildings, manufacture 
clothes, and carry on commerce. This year 
was religiously observed. Deut. 31 : 10-13. 
There was, moreover, a general release ; no 
debt to a Jew was allowed to stand, but 
must be forgiven. Deut. 15 : 1-11. 

Yoke. It was much lighter and larger 
than ours, so that the cattle stood farther 
apart. It was simply a stick laid upon the 
necks of the cattle, to which it was held 
by thongs instead of wooden bows, and in 
a similar manner it was attached to the 
plough -beam. In modern Syria wooden 
pins are sometimes used instead of thongs, 
the lower ends of which are held by a par- 
allel stick under the necks of the oxen. 
The yoke was an appropriate emblem of 
subjection and of slavery, while the re- 
moval of it indicated deliverance. Gen. 
27 : 40 ; Jer. 2 : 20 ; Matt. 11 : 29, 80. Break- 
ing the yoke also represents the rejection 
of authority. Nah. 1 : 13. 



Z a an aim (za'a-nd'im), removals. The 
plain, or the oak where Heber the Kenlte 
pitched his tent, Judg. 4 : 11, some 2 or 3 
miles northwest of the Waters of Merom 
(Lake Huleh.) Conder suggests the identi- 
fication of Zaanaim with Bessum, east of 
Tabor. Same as Zaanannim. 

Zacchaeus, or Zaccheus (zak-ke'its). A 
Jew — a tax-collector at or near Jericho. 
When Jesus was passing through Jericho 
on his last journey to Jerusalem, Zaccheeus 
was anxious to see him. Luke 19 : 1-27. Of 
Zacchseus nothing more is certainly known 
than is stated in Luke. 

Zachariah {zak'a-rVah), remembered by 
Jehovah. 1. Sonof Jeroboam II., fourteenth 
king of Israel, and the last of the house of 
Jehu. There is a difficulty about the date 
of his reign. Most chronologers assume an 
interregnum of eleven years between Jero- 
boam's death and Zachaiiah's accession, b. 
c. 772-1. His reign lasted only six months. 
He was killed in a conspiracy of which 
Shallum was the head, and by which the 

216 



prophecy in 2 Kings 10 : 30 was fulfilled. 2. 
The father of Abi or Abijah, Hezekiah's 
mother. 2 Kings 18 : 2. 

Zacharias {zak'a-rVas). Greek form of 
Zachariah. 1. Father of John the Baptist. 
Luke 1 : 5,. etc. He was a priest of the 
course of Abia, the eighth of the 24 courses 
who ministered at the temple in turn. 2. 
Son of Barachias, who, our Lord says, was 
slain by the Jews between the altar and 
the temple. Matt. 23 : 35 ; Luke 11 : 51. 
There has been much dispute who this 
Zacharias was, but there can be little or no 
doubt that the allusion is to Zechariah, the 
sou of Jehoiada, 2 Chron. 24 : 20, 21 ; and 
he may have been called "the son" of 
Barachias from his grandfather. He is 
mentioned as being the martyr last recorded 
in the Hebrew Scriptures, as Abel was the 
first— 2d Chronicles being placed last in 
their Old Testament Scriptures, 

Zadok {zd'dok), just. Son of Ahitub, 
and one of the two high priests in the time 
of David, Abiathar being the other. 2 Sam. 
8 : 17. He joined David at Hebron, 1 Chron. 
12 : 28, and subsequently anointed Solomon 
king, 1 Kings 1 : 39, and was rewarded by 
Solomon for his faithful service by being 
made sole high priest. There are seven 
persons of this name mentioned in the 
Bible. 

Zalmon {zdl'mon), shady, Mount, a hill 
near Shechem, Judg. 9 : 48, the same as 
Salmon. Ps. 68 : 14. R. "V., " Zalmon." 

Zamzummim (zam-ziim'mim.) Deut. 2 : 
20. The Ammonite name for the people who 
by others were called Rephaim. 

Zanoah (za-no'ah), marsh, bog. 1. A town 
in Judah, m the lowlands or "vallev." 
Josh. 15 : 34 : Neh. 3 : 13 ; 11 : 30. East "of 
Beth-shemesh, at Zdnud, 14 miles west- 
southwest of Jerusalem. 2. A town in the 
highlands of Judah. Josh. 15 : 56. Za'nu- 
tah, 10 miles south-southwest of Hebron. 

Zarephath {zdr'e-phdth), smelting-house, 
and Sarepta {sa-^ip'tah). Luke 4 : 26. A 
town of Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean, 
between Tyre and Sidon. At Zarephath, 
Elijah found shelter with a widow dur- 
ing the great famine in Israel. 1 Kings 
17 : 8-24. The prophet Obadiah mentions 
it as marking the limits of Israel's Anctorj'. 
Obad. 20. Jesus made reference to this in- 
cident in Elijah's life. Luke 4 : 26. Now 
in ruins. 

Zaretan {zdr'e-tdn). Josh. 3 : 16. R. V., 
" Zarethan." See Zereda. 

Zebedee {zWe-dee), my gift. Greek form 
of Zabdi. A fisherman of Galilee, the 
father of the apostles James and John, 
Matt. 4 : 21, and the husband of Salome. 
Matt. 27 : 56 ; Mark 15 : 40. He probably 
lived at Bethsaida. It has been inferred 
from the mention of his " hired sei"vants," 
Mark 1 : 20, and from the acquaintance be- 
ween the apostle John and Annas the high 
priest, John 18 : 15, that the family of Zeb- 
edee were in easy circumstances: comp. 
John 19 : 27 ; Matt. 4 : 21. He appears only 
twice in the Gospel narrative, namelv, in 
Matt. 4 : 21, 22 ; Mark 1 : 19, 20, where he is 
seen in his boat with his two sons mending 
their nets. 



ZEBOIM 



OF THE BIBLE. 



zrooN 



Z e b o i m (ze-bo'im), hyxnas. It was a 
gorge or ravine apparently east of Mich- 
mash, and mentioned only in 1 Sam. 13 : 18. 
The " wilderness " is the wild tract between 
the central hills and the valley of the Jor- 
dan. 

Zebulun (ztb'u-lun), a habitation. One 
of the sons of Jacob, and of Leah. Gen. 
30 : 20 ; 35 : 23 ; 46 : 14 ; 1 Chron. 2 : 1. Of 
the individual Zebulun nothing is recorded. 
He had three sons, founders of the chief 
families of the tribe. Gen. 46, comp. Num. 
26 : 26. The tribe is not recorded to have 
taken part in any of the events of the wan- 
dering or the conquest. Its territory was 
remote from the centre of government. The 
conduct of the tribe during the struggle 
with Sisera, when they fought with desper- 
ate valor, was such, as to draw the special 
praise of Deborah. Judg. 5 : 18. 

Zechariah (zSk'a-rl'ah), Jehovah remem- 
bers. 1. The eleventh of the twelve minor 
prophets, of priestly descent, and a con- 
temporary of Haggai. Ezra 5:1. He was 
born in Babylon, and was both a priest and 
a prophet. Scarcely anything is known of 
his hfe. His prophecies were about b. c. 
520. 

The Book of Zechariah consists of two 
divisions : I. Chaps. 1-8 ; II. Chaps. 9-14. 
The first division contains visions and proph- 
ecies, exhortations to turn to Jehovah, and 
warnings against the enemies of the people 
of God: The second division gives a pro- 
phetic description of the future fortunes of 
the theocracy in conflict with the secular 
powers, the suflferings and death of the 
Messiah under the figure of the shepherd, 
the conversion of Israel to him, and the 
final glorification of the kingdom of God. 
Some have ascribed this part of the book 
to Jeremiah because in Matt. 27 : 9, 10 a pas- 
sage is quoted under the name of Jeremiah, 
while others have put it at a much earUer 
or much later period on account of the 
peculiarities of the stj'^le. The book con- 
tains six specific references to Christ : 3:8; 
6 : 12 ; 9 : 9 ; 11 : 12 ; 12 : 10 ; 13 : 7, represent- 
ing him as a lowly servant, a priest and 
king building Jehovah's temple, the meek 
and peaceful but universal monarch, the 
shepherd betrayed for the price of a slave 
(thirty pieces of silver), the leader to re- 
pentance, and the Fellow of Jehovah smit- 
ten by Jehovah himself, at once the Re- 
deemer and the Pattern of his flock. Be- 
sides the prophet, 27 other persons of the 
iiame Zechariah are mentioned in Scrip- 
ture. 

Zedekiah {zM'e-kVah\ justice qf Jehovah. 
1. The last kingof Judan, the son of Josiah, 
and the uncle of Jehoiachin. His proper 
name was Mattaniah, but Nebuchadnez- 
zar changed it to Zedekiah when raising 
him to the throne. He commenced his 
reign at twenty-one, and reigned eleven 
years, 598-588 B. c. 2 Chron. 36 : 11. He 
was a weak man, and the people were 
completely demoralized. In the ninth year 
of his reign he revolted against Nebuchad- 
nezzar, in consequence of which the Assyr- 
ian monarch marched his army into JudJea 
and took all the fortified places. In the 



eleventh year of his reign, on the ninth 
day of the fourth month (July), Jerusalem 
was taken. The king and his people en- 
deavored to escape by night, but, the 
Chaldsean troops pursuing them, they were 
overtaken in the plain of Jericho. Zedekiah 
was seized and carried to Nebuchadnezzar, 
then at Riblah, in Syria, who reproached 
him with his perfidy, caused all his children 
to be slain before his face and his own eyes 
to be put out, and then, loading him with 
chains of brass, ordered him to be sent to 
Babylon. 2 Kings 25 : 1-11 ; 2 Chron. 36 : 12, 
20. Thus the double prophecy concerning 
him— that he should be carried to Babylon, 
but never see it— was literally fulfilled. 
Jer. 32 : 4, 5 ; 34 : 3 ; comp. Ezek. 12 : 13. 2. 
A false prophet in the reign of Ahab. 1 
Kings 22 : 11, 24, 25 ; 2 Chron. 18 : 10, 23, 24. 
There are four persons of this name men- 
tioned in the Bible. 

Zephaniah {zSph'a-nVah), Jehovah hides. 
1. One of the minor prophets, in the days 
of Josiah. His prophecy was uttered about 
B. c. 620 to 609. The description of the 
judgment in ch. 1 : 14, 15, "The great day 
of Jehovah is near'* (in the Latin version 
Dies irse, dies ilia), has furnished the basis 
for the sublime hymn of the Middle Ages, 
the Dies Irse ascribed to Thomas a Celano, 
and often translated. There are four persons 
of this name mentioned in the Bible. 

Zerah (ze'rah), a rising of light. 1. An 
Ethiopian or Cushite king in the reign of 
Asa, routed at Mareshah, in the valley of 
Zephathah, 2 Chron. 14 : 9, 10. There are 
four persons of this name mentioned in the 
Bible. 

Zereda (zSr'e-dah), cooling. A place in 
Ephraim, in the plain of Jordan. 1 Kings 
11 : 26. Possibly it is the same as Zaretan, 
Josh. 3 : 16 ; Zererath, Judg. 7 : 22, R. V., 
" Zererah ; " Zartanah, 1 Kings 4 : 12, R. V., 
" Zarethan ; " Zeredathah, 2 Chron. 4 : 17, 
R. v., " Zeredah ; " and Zarthan, 1 Kings 
7 : 46. There seems to be much confusion 
about these names, but the Pal. Memoirs 
suggest as the site of Zereda, Surdah, 23^ 
miles northwest of Beitin (Bethel). 

Zeredathah (ze-rM'a-thah). 2 Chron. 4: 
17, A. V. See Zereda. 

Zererath (zSr'e-i^ath). Judg. 7 : 22, A. V. 
See Zereda. 

Zerubbabel (ze-rilb'ba-bSl), begotten in 
Babylon, 1 Chron. 3 : 19, or Zorobabel, 
Matt. 1 : 12, A. V., was the leader of the 
first colony of Jews that returned from the 
captivity in Babylon, Ezra 2 : 2, and was of 
the familv of David, a son of Salathiel or 
Shealtiel, Hag. 1:1; Matt. 1 : 12, but called 
a son of Pedaiah, the brother or son of Sa- 
lathiel, in 1 Chron. 3 : 17-19. He laid the 
foundations of the temple, Zech. 4 : 6-10, 
and was chiefly instrumental in restoring 
the religious rites of the nation. Finally 
he succeeded in completing the building. 
Ezra 5:2; Hag. 1 : 12, 14 ; 2 : 2, 4 ; Zech. 4 ; 
6, 10. He was the governor of Judaea. Neh. 
12 : 47. 

Z i d o n (zi'don), hunting. Heb. Tsidon. 
" Sidon," the Greek fonn, is found in Gen. 
10 : 15, 19, in the Apocrypha generally, and 
in the New Testament. Zidon was a rich 

217 



ZTKLAG 



TEOPLE'S DICTIONARY 



ZOAN 



and ancient Phoenician city. The city was 
25 miles south of the modem Beirut. Zidon 
is one of the most ancient cities of the 
world. The person after whom it is named 
was the "first-bom " of Canaan, the grand- 
son of Noah. Gen. 10 : 15 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 13. 
This was B. c. 2218. In Joshua's time it was 
"great Zidon." Josh. 11:8; 19:28, and 
seems to have been the metropolis of 
Phcenicia. Zidon was one of the lim- 
its of the tribe of Asher, Josh. 19: 28, 
but was never possessed by the Israehtes. 
Judg. 1 : 31 ; 3 : 3. In fact,' the Zidonians 
oppressed Israel, Judg. 10 : 12, seeming 
themselves to be secure from all attacks 
and hving "ca.reless." Judg. 18:7, 28. 
Tyre was one of the colonies — a " virgin 
daughter," Isa. 23 : 12 — of Zidon, but sub- 
sequently became the more important 
town. The Zidonians were famous for 
commerce, manufactures, and arts. Their 
sailors and workmen were noted. Zido- 
nians assisted in the work of building the 
temple. 1 Chron. 22 : 4 ; 1 Kings 5 : 6 ; Ezek. 
27 : 8. From Zidon also came idolatrous 
abominations to corrupt Israel. 1 Kings 
11 : 5, 33 ; 2 Kings 23 : 13. The city was 
mentioned frequently in prophetic threat- 
enings, but with much less severity than 
Tvre. Isa. 23 : 2, 4, 12 ; Jer. 25 : 22 ; 27 : 3 ; 
47 : 4 : Ezek. 27 : 8 ; 28 : 21, 22 ; 32 : 30 ; Joel 
3:4: Zech. 9:2. In New Testament times 
Zidon (called " Sidon") was visited bv Je- 
sus, Matt. 15 : 21 ; Mark 7 : 24 ; Luke 4* : 26, 
although the "coasts" of Tyre and Sidon 
denoted the adjacent region as well as the 
cities themselves, and some think that the 
Saviour did not enter the cities. Hearers 
from among those people were drawn to 
his preaching. Mark 3:8; Luke 6 : 17 ; 
comp. Mart. 11 : 22 ; Luke 10 : 14. Herod's 
displeasure with this region is noted. Acts 
12 : 20. The apostle Paul touched at Zidon 
on his way to Rome, and visited the Chris- 
tians there. Acts 27 : 3. The site of an- 
cient Zidon is occupied by the modern 
Saida. The burying-grounds are exten- 
sive, and many 'curious sarcophagi have 
been discovered. One was the sarcopha- 
gus of kingAshmanezer ; it has been placed 
in the museum at Paris, and antiquarians 
fix its date at from B. c. 300 to B. c. 1000. 
The ancient ruins are few. 

Ziklag [zWlCig). outpouring of a fountain f 
A city in the south of Judah, Josh. 15 : 31 ; 
afterward given to Simeon, Josh. 19 : 5. It 
was at times held by the Phihstines. Achish, 
king of Gath, gave' it to David, and it sub- 
sequently belonged to Judah. Its chief 
interest is in connection with the life of 
David. 1 Sam. 27 : 6 ; 30 : 1, 14, 26 ; 2 Sam. 
1:1; 4 : 10 : 1 Chron. 4 : 30 ; 12 : 1-20. It 
was also inhabited after the return from 
the captivity. Xeh. 11 : 28. 

Zimri (zlrn'ri). 1. A Simeonite chieftain, 
slain by Phinehas. Num. 25 : 14. 2. Fifth 
king of the separate kingdom of Israel for 
seven days. He gained the crown by the 
murder of king Elah. but the army made 
Omri king, and Zimri retreated into the 
innermost part of the palace, set it on fire, 
and perished in the ruins. 1 Kings 16 : 9-20. 

^in (zin), ft low palm tree, Ta§ TvUder- 

m 



ness of Zin was a ^rt of the Arabian des- 
ert south of Palestine. Num. 13 : 21, 22 ; 
34 : 3 ; Josh. 15 : 1, 3 ; Num. 20 : 1 ; 27 : 14 ; 33 : 
36. Kadesh is sometimes spoken of as in 
the wilderness of Zin, Num. 33 : 36, and 
again as in the wilderness of Paran. Num. 
13 : 26. This is explained by the fact that 
Paran was the general name for the whole 
desert, while Zin was the northeastern cor- 
ner of that desert. 

Zion {zl'on), and Sion {si'an), dry, sunny 
mount. This hill in Jerusalem is first men- 
tioned as a stronghold of the Jebusites. 
Josh. 15 : 63. It remained in their posses- 
sion until captured by David, who made it 
"the city of David,"" the capital of his 
kingdom. He built there a citadel, his 
own palace, houses for the i)eople, and a 
place for the ark of God. 2 Sam. 5 : 7 ; 1 
Kings 8 : 1 ; 2 Kings 19 : 21, 31 ; 1 Chron. 11 : 
5 ; 2 Chron. 5 : 2. In the prophetical and 
poetical books the name occurs no less than 
148times,^'iz., inPsakns38times,Songof SoL 
1, Isaiah 47, Jeremiah 17, Lamentations 15, 
Joel 7, Amos 2, Obadiah 2, ^Micah 9, Zepha- 
niah 2, Zechariah 8. In the New Testa- 
ment it occurs seven times as "Sion," mak- 
ing the total number of times the name 
occurs 161. It was in the later books no 
longer confined to the southwestern hill, 
but denoted sometimes Jerusalem in gen- 
eral, Ps. 149 : 2 ; 87 : 2 ; Isa. 33 : 14 ; Joel 2 : 
1, etc. ; sometimes God's chosen people, Ps. 
51 : 18 ; 87 : 5, etc. ; sometimes the church, 
Heb. 12 : 22, etc. ; and sometimes the heav- 
enly city. Eev. 14 : 1, etc. Hence, Zion 
has passed into its present common use in 
religious hterature to denote the aspirations 
and hopes of God's children. A part of 
the hill is cultivated, and thus the traveller 
is frequently reminded of the prophecy, 
" Zion shall be ploughed like a field." Jer. 
26 : 18 ; Micah 3 : 12. See Jerusalem. 

Ziph, a flowing. 1. A city in the south 
of Judah. Josh. 15 : 24. 2. A town in the 
highlands of Judah, Josh. 15 : 55 ; fortified 
by Rehoboam. 2 Chron. 11 : 8. When pur- 
sued by Saul, David hid himself "in the 
■wilderness of Ziph." 1 Sam. 23 : 14, 15, 24 ; 
26 : 2. The site is TeU es Zif. about four 
miles southeast of Hebron, on the road to 
En-gedi. Tristram says : " How far the for- 
est of Ziph," see 1 Sam. 23:14, 15, "ex- 
tended it is not easy to say, but there are 
traces of it in an occasional tree, and there 
seems no reason, from the nature of the 
soil, why the woods may not have stretched 
nearly to the barren, 'sandy marl which 
overlies the limestone for a few miles west 
of the Dead Sea." 3. A descendant of 
Judah. 1 Chron. 4 : 16. 

Ziz (zlz), the CUff of. 2 Chron. 20 : 16. 
R. v., the ascent of Zix. The pass was the 
ascent through which invaders from the 
south and east, after doubhng the south 
end of the Dead Sea, entered the hill- 
countrj' of Judaea, Ziz was the key of the 
pass. 

Zoan {zo'an), low region f or place of de- 
parture f A city of lower Egypt ; called by 
the Greeks Tanis — now San.' Zoan was an 
exceedingly ancient citv, built seven vears 
^erHe^roj}, Nujn, 13:32, Tbe"fi^iaQf 



ZOAR 



OF THE BIBLE. 



ZUZIM 



Zoan" was the place of God's wonders. 
Ps. 78 : 12, 43. When Isaiah wrote, it would 
appear to have been one of the chief cities 
in Egypt, as he speaks of "the princes of 
Zoan." Isa. 19 : 11, 13 ; 30 : 4. Ezekiel fore- 
tells the fate of the city in the words : "I 
will set fire in Zoan." Ezek. 30 : 14. There 
are no other Scripture references to Zoan. 
Zoan has been satisfactorily identified with 
the ancient Avaris and Tanis and the mod- 
ern San. Very interesting discoveries hare 
been made there within a few years. 
Among the inscriptions has been found 
one with the expression Sechet Tanet, which 
exactly corresponds to the *' field of Zoan." 
Ps. 78 : 43. The mounds which mark the 
site of the town are remarkable for their 
height and extent, and cover an area a 
mile in length by three-fourths of a mile 
in width. The sacred enclosure of the 
great temple was 1500 feet long and 1250 
feet wide. This temple was adorned by 
Rameses II. There are some dozen obe- 
lisks of great size, all fallen and broken, 
with numerous statues. " The whole con- 
stitutes," says Macgregor, "one of the 
grandest and oldest ruins in the world." 

Zoar {zo'ar), smaUness. Gen. 19 : 22, 23, 
30. One of the cities of Canaan. Its earlier 
name was Bela. Gen. 14 : 2, 8. In the 
general destruction of the cities of the 

Elain, Zoar was spared to afford shelter to 
ot. It was one of the landmarks which 
Moses saw from Pisgah, Deut. 34 : 3, and it 
appears to have been known in the time 
of Isaiah, Isa. 15 : 5, and Jeremiah, Jer. 
48 : 34. It was situated in the same district 
with the four cities of the "plain" of the 
Jordan, and near to Sodom. Gen. 19 : 15, 
23, 27. See Sodom. 

Zobali (zo'bah), station. A Syrian king- 
dom, sometimes called Aram Zobah, and 
also written " Zoba," whose kings made 
war with Saul, 1 Sam. 14 : 47 ; with David, 
2 Sam. 8:3; 10 : 6, 8 ; 1 Chron. 18 : 5, 9 ; and 
with Solomon, 2 Chron. 8:3. It was on 
the north of Damascus. 2 Sam. 8:3; 23 : 
36 ; 1 Kings 11 : 23. Zobah is found on the 
Assyrian inscriptions. 

Zolieletli {zo'he-lUh), serpent. A stone 
by " En-rogel," by which Adonijah "slew 



sheep and oxen and fat cattle." 1 Kings 
1:9. 

Zophar (zo'phar). One of Job's three 
friends. Job 2 : 11, is called the Naamath- 
ite, probably because he belonged to Na- 
amah. Josh. 15 : 41, a town assigned to Ju- 
dah. 

Zophim (zo'phim), watchers. The field 
of Zophim was the place on the " top of 
Pisgah" to which Balak brought Balaam. 
Num. 23 : 14. If the word rendered " field " 
be taken in its usual sense, then the " field 
of Zophim" was a cultivated spot high up 
on the top of Pisgah. See Pisgah. 

Zorah {zo'rah), and Zoreali (zo're-ah), 
hornet's toivn, and Zareali {zd're-ah), Neh. 
11 : 29, a town in the low country of Judah 
— afterward assigned to Dan, Josh. 15 : 33 ; 
19 : 41 ; the birthplace and burialplace of 
Samson. Judg. 13 : 2, 25 ; 16 : 31. From 
Zorah the Daniies sent spies to search the 
land for a place of inheritance. Judg. 18 : 
2. Zorah was fortified by Rehoboam, 2 
Chron. 11 : 10, and inhabited after the re- 
turn from captivity. Neh. 11 : 29. The 
place still exists as Surah, 13 miles west of 
Jerusalem. 

Zuph (ziiph), ov Suph, R. V. text, flag, 
sedge. Deut. ]. : 1, margin. 1. From the He- 
brew Suph, signifying a kind of seaweed, 
and the Hebrew name for the Red Sea. 2. 
Name of a person, 1 Sam. 1 : 1. 

Zuph, the I-and of. 1 Sam. 9:5, 6. 
The whole of this journey of Saul has been 
a curious puzzle in Scripture topography. 
Neither the starting point, nor the point to 
which he returned, is known, and the 
places between them cannot be deter- 
mined. 

Zur, rock. 1. Son of the founder of 
Gibeon. 1 Chron. 8 : 30 ; 9 : 36. 2. A prince 
of Midian. Num. 25 : 15 ; Josh. 13 : 21. He 
was sJain with others by the IsraeUtes. 
Num. 25 : 18. 

Zuziin {zWzim). Gen. 14 : 5. The name 
of a people in Ham, who were defeated in 
the famous invasion of Chedorlaomer. The 
Zuzim are believed to be the same people 
that the Ammonites later called the Zam- 
zummim, and that others called the Re- 
phaim or giants. See Deut. 2 : 20, R. V. 



Interesting Facts about the Bible. 

OLD testament. NEW TESTAMENT. 

Number of books in 89 27 

Number of chapters in 929 260 

Number of verses in 23,214 7,959 

Number of words in 592,439 181,253 

Number of letters in 2,728,100 838,380 

Middle book in Proverbs. 2Thess. 

Middle chapter of. Job 29. Romans 13 and 14. 

Middle verse of 2 Chronicles 20 : 17. Acts 17 : 17. 

Shortest book in Obadiah. 3 John. 

Shortest verse in 1 Chronicles 1 : 1. John 11 : 35. 



IN WHOLE BIBLE. 

66 
1,189 
31,173 
773,692 
3,566,480 
Micah and Nahum. 
Psalm 117. 
Psalm 118 : 8. 
3 John. 
John 11 : 35. 



Ezra 7 : 21 has all the letters of the alphabet except j. 

Isaiah 37 and 2 Kings 19 are alike ; so are the last verses of 2 Chron. and the opening 
verses of Ezra. 

The word Jehovah occurs 6853 times in the Bible ; the word and 35,543 times in the 
Old Testament, and 6853 times in th© New Testameut. Ttie gUgrtest- Chapter in the 
Bible is Ps. 117. - - - 

m 



APPENDIX. 



CHIEF PAEABLES AND MIRACLES IN THE BIBLE. 

By the rev. EDWIN W. EICE, D.D. 



PARABLES IN OLD TESTAMENT. 

Trees choosing a king. Judg. 9 : 7-15. 

Samson's riddle. Judg. 14 : 14. 

Nathan and the ewe lamb. 2 Sam. 12: 

1-6. 
Woman of Tekoah. 2 Sam. 14; 6-11. 
Escaped prisoner. 1 Kings 20 : 35-40. 
Thistle and cedar. 2 Kings 14 : 9. 
The vine. Ps. 80 : 8-16. 
Vineyard. Is. 5: 1-7. 
Eagle and vine. Eze 17 : 3-10. 
Lion's whelps. Eze. 19 : 2-9. 
Boiling pot. Eze. 24 : 3-5. 
Cedar in Lebanon. Eze. 31 : 3-18. 

MIRACLES IN OLD TESTAMENT. 

Enoch translated. Gen. 5 : 24 ; Heb. 11 : 5. 

The flood. Gen. 7:11-24. 

Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed. Gen. 

19:24. 
Iiot's wife made a salt pillar. Gen. 19 : 26. 
Burning bush. Ex. 3:2-4. 
Aaron's rod. Ex. 7 : 10-12. 
Ten plagues of Egypt, Ex., chaps. 7 to 12: 

1. Waters turned to blood. 7 : 19-25. 

2. Frog3. 8:5-14. 

3. Lice. 8 : 17, 18. 

4. Flies. 8 : 24. 

5. Murrain, (cattle plague). 9 : 3-6. 

6. Boils. 9 : 8-11. 

7. Thunder , hail, etc. 9 : 22-26. 

8. Locusts. 10 : 12-19. 

9. Darkness. 10 : 21-33. 

10. Death of the firstborn. 12 : 29-30. 
Crossing of the Bed Sea. Ex. 14: 21-31. 
Marah's waters sweetened. Ex. 15:23-25. 
Giving the manna. Ex. 16 : 14-35. 
Water from the rock at Horeb. Ex. 17 : 5-7. 
Nadab and Abihu. Lev. 10 : 1, 2. 
Part of Israel burned. Num. 11 : 1-3. 
Korah and his company. Num. 16 : 32. 
Aaron's rod budding. Num. 17 : 1, etc. 
Water from the rock, Meribah. Num. 20 : 

7-11. 
Brazen serpent. Num. 21 : 8, 9. 
Balaam's ass speaks. Num. 22 : 21-35. 
River Jordan crossed. Josh. 3 : 14-17. 
Walls of Jericho fall. Josh. 6: 6-20. 
Jeroboam's hand withered. 1 Kgs. 13 : 4, 6. 
Widow's meal and oil increased. 1 Kings 

17 : 14-16. 
Widow's son raised. 1 Kings 17 : 17-24. 
Elijah calls fire from heaven. 1 Kings 

18 : 28. 
Ahaziah's captains consumed by fire. 2 

Kings 1 : 10-12. 
Jordan divided by Elijah and Elisha. 2 

Kings 2 : 7, 8, 14. 
Elijah carried to heaven. 2 Kings 2:11. 
Waters of Jericho healed. 2 Kings 2: 

21, 22, 
220 



The widow's oil multiplied. 2 Kings 4 : 2-7. 

Shunammite's son raised. 2 Kings 4 : 32-37. 

Naaman and Gehazi. 2 Kings 5 : 10-27. 

The iron axe-head swims. 2 Kings 6 : 5-7. 

Syrian army's blindness. 2 Kgs. 6 : 18, 20. 

Dead man raised. 2 Kings 13 : 21. 

Sennacherib's army destroyed. 2 Kings 
19:35. 

Sun-dial of Ahaz. 2 Kings 20 : 9-11. 

Uzziah struck with leprosy. 2 Chron. 26 : 
16-21. 

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego in the fur- 
nace. Dan. 3: 19-27. 

Daniel in the den of lions, Dan. 6 : 16-23. 

Jonah and a great fish. Jonah 2 : 1-10. 

PARABLES IN THE GOSPELS. 

I. Found in Matthew only (and not found 
in any other Gospel). — II. 

The tares. 13:1-24. 
Hid treasure. 13:44. 
Pearl of great price. 13 : 46. 
Drag net. 1 3 : 47, 48. 
Unmerciful servant. 18 : 23-34. 
Laborers in the vineyard. 20 : 1-16. 
The two sons. 21 : 28-32. 
Marriage of king's son. 22:1-14. 
Ten virgins. 25 : 1-13. 
Ten talents. 25 : 14-30. 
Sheep and goats. 25 : 31-46. 

2. Found in Mark only. — 2. 

The seed. 4 : 26-29. 
Householder, 13 : 34-36. 

3. Found in Luke only. — 17. 

Two debtors. 7:41-43. 
Good Samaritan. 10 : 25-37. 
Friend at midnight. 11 : 5-8. 
Rich fool. 12 : 16-21. 
Servants watching. 12 : 85-40. 
The servant on trial. 12 : 42-48. 
Barren fig tree. 13 : 6-9. 
Great supper. 14 : 16-24. 
Tower and warring king. 14 : 28-33. 
The lost silver. 15 : 8-10. 
Prodigal (lost) son. 15 : 11-32. 
The shrewd steward. 16 : 1-8. 
Rich man and Lazarus. 16 : 19-31. 
Unprofitable servants. 17 : 7-10. 
Unjust judge. 18 : 1-8. 
Pharisee and publican. 18:9-14. 
Ten pounds. 19 : 12-27. 

4. In Matthew and Luke only.— 3. 

House on rock and sand. Matt. 7:24- 

27 ; Luke 6 : 48, 49. 
The leaven. Matt. 13 : 33 ; Luke 13 : 20. 
Lost sheep. Matt. 18 : 12 ; Luke 15 : 3-7. 



PARABLES AND MIRACLES, 



5. In Matthew, Mark and Luke only. — 7. 

Light under a bushel. Matt. 5 : 15 ; Mark 

4:21; Luke 8:16. 
Cloth and garment. Matt. 9 : 16 ; Mark 2 : 

21; Luke 5: 36. 
Wine and bottles. Matt. 9 : 17 ; Mark 2 : 22 ; 

Luke 5 : 37. 
The sower. Matt. 13 ; Mark 4 ; Luke 8. 
Mustard seed. Matt. 13 ; Mark 4 ; Lk. 13. 
Wicked husbandmen. Matt. 21 ; Mark 12 ; 

Luke 20. 
The fig tree and the trees. Matt. 24 ; Mark 

13; Luke 21. 

MIRACLES IN THE NEW TESTA- 
MENT. 

A. In the Gospels. 

I. Found in Matthew only (not in any 
other Gospel). — 3. 

Two blind men see. 9 : 27-31. 

Dumb demoniac. 9 : 32, 33. 

Money (shekel) in the fish. 17 : 24-27. 

2. Found in Mark only. — 2. 

Deaf and dumb cured. 7:31-37. 
Blind man made to see. 8 : 22-26. 

3. Found in Luke only. — 6. 

Draught of fishes. 5 : 1-11. 
Eaising widow's son. 7 : 11-15. 
Infirm woman healed. 13:11-15. 
Dropsy cured. 14 : 1-6. 
Ten lepers cleansed. 17:11-19. 
Malchus' ear healed. 22 : 50, 51. 

4. Found in John only. — 6. 

Water made wine at Cana. 2 : 1-11. 
Nobleman's son healed. 4 : 46-54. 
Impotent man at Bethesda. 6 : 1-9, 
Sight to man born blind. 9:1-7. 
Lazarus raised to life. 11 : 38-44. 
Draught of 153 fishes. 21 : 1-14. 

5. In Matthew and Mark only. — 3. 

Syrophcenician's daughter. Matt. 15 ; 

Mark 7. 
Four thousand fed. Matt. 15 • Mark 8. 
Withered fig tree. Matt. 21 ; Mark 11. 



6. In Matthew and Luke only. — 2. 

Centurion's servant. Matt. 8 ; Luke 7. 
Blind and dumb demoniac. Matt. 12; 
Luke 11. 

7. In Mark and Luke only. — 2. 

Demoniac in synagogue. Mark 1 ; Luke 4. 
The ascension of Jesus. Mark 16:19; 
Luke 24 : 51 ; (Acts 1 : 9, 10.) 

8. In Matthew, Mark and Luke only. — 10. 

Peter's mother-in-law. Matt. 8 ; Mark 1 ; 

Luke 4. 
Storm stilled. Matt. 8 ; Mark 4 ; Luke 8 ; 
Devils at Gadara. Matt. 8 ; Mark 5 ; Luke 8. 
Leper cured. Matt. 8 ; Mark 2 ; Luke 5. 
Jairus' daughter. Matt. 9 ; Mark 5 ; Luke 8. 
Woman's issue of blood. Matt. 9; Mark 5; 

Luke 8. 
Palsy cured. Matt. 9 ; Mark 2 ; Luke 5. 
Withered hand. Matt. 12 ; Mark 3 ; Luke 6. 
Demoniac child. Matt, 17 ; Mark 9 ; Luke 9. 
Blind of Jericho. Matt, 20 ; Mark 10 ; Lk. 18- 

9, In Matthew, Mark and John only.-^l 

Walking on the sea. Matt. 14; Mk. 6; John 6. 

10. In all the Gospels.— 2. 
Five thousand fed. Matt. 14; Mark 6; 

Luke 9 ; John 6. 
Jesus' resurrection. Matt. 28; Mark 16; 

Luke 24; John 20 ; (Acts 1). 

B. Miracles in the Acts. — 16. 
Pentecostal tongues. 2 : 1-4. 
Lame man healed. 3 : 2-10. 
Ananias and Sapphira. 5 : 1-10. 
Angel opens the prison. 5 : 19. 
Unclean spirits cast out. 8 : 6, 7, 
Saul's conversion. 9 : 3-18. 
Eneas healed by Peter. 9 : 32-34. 
Dorcas raised to life. 9 : 36-41. 
Angel delivers Peter. 12 : 4-12. 
Elymas struck blind. 13 : 8-11. 
Lame man at Lystra. 14 : 8-10. 
Evil spirit cast out. 16:16-18. 
Prison opened at Philippi. 16 : 25-31. 
Eutych us restored. 20 : 9-12. 
Viper from Paul's hand. 28:3-6. 
Father of Publius healed. 28 : 8, 9. 



TABLE OF TIME. 
Hebrew divisions of the day. 

Civil day = from sunset one evening to 
sunset the next evening. 

Night Watohes (Ancient). 

First watch (Lam. 2 : 19), to about 10 or 

11 P.M. 

Second watch (Judg. 7 : 19), to about 2 a.m., 
Third (morning) watch (Ex. 14 : 24), to 
sunrise. 

Night Watches (New Testament). 
First watch (evening), sunset to 9 p.m. 
Second watch (midnight), 9 to 12 p.m. 
Third watch (cockcrowing), 12 to 3 a.m. 
Fourth watch (morning), 3 to sunrise. 

THE YEAR. 

The Hebrew sacred year began with the 
Passover; the civil year with the feftst of 
Trumpets. (See page 158. ) 



DAY DIVISIONS.— ROMAN TIME. 
(New Testament.) 

The natural day (from sunrise to sunset), 
the Romans divided into twelve equal parts. 
The following table shows the approximate 
beginning of each of the twelve hours ; equal 
in midsummer to IM, and in midwinter to %, 
of one of our hours. 
Roman In Midsummer In Midwinter 
Hour. Began Began 

1st hour, about 4. 30 A. M. about 7. 30 A. m. 
2d ** " 5.45 " " 8.15 ** 

3d " " 7. " ** 9. 

4th " •* 8.15 " " 9.45 " 

6th " " 9.30 " " 10.30 " 

6th " " 10.45 ** " 11.15 " 

7th " '* 12. M. " 12. M. 

8th " " L15P.M. " 12.45 p.m. 

9th " " 2.30 " " 1.30 " 

10th " *' 3.45 " *' 2.15 " 

nth " " 5. " " 3 

r2th " " 6.15 ** "3 46 " 

Dayeuds, ♦* 7.30 '* " 4 30 " 

' ? " ' 221 



TABLES OF MEASUEES, WEIGHTS AND MONEY IN 

THE BIBLE. 

These tables are based upon tJie latest and highest autJwrities, cw Schroder, Brandis and F. W» 
Madden {Jewish Coinage and Money), Whitehouse and BisselL 

lbs. oz. grs. 



I. MEASURE OF LENGTH. 

ft. in. 
Digit, or finger. Jer. 52 : 21, . /^ 

4 digits = 1 palm. Ex. 25 : 25, Z^^ 

3 palms = 1 span. Ex. 28 : 16, 9^%% 

2 spans = 1 cubit.i Gen. 6 : 15, 1 7 

4 cubits = 1 fathom. Acts 27 : 

28, ...... 6 4 

6 cubits = 1 reed. Eze. 40 : 3, 5, 9 6 
1 Roman foot, .... HtuIj 

5 Roman feet = 1 Roman pace, 4 10}^^ 
61^ Roman ft. = 6 Greek ft. -= 

Greek fathom, ... 6 -f^j^ 
625 Roman ft. = 1 furlong 

(Greek stadium), . . .606 9 
1 Roman mile 2 = about ^ of 

an English mile, . . . 4854 
15 furlongs = Sabbath day's 

journey. Compare John 11 : 

18 with Acts 1 : 12. 

1 The cubit varied in length. The 
short cubit was about 15 or 16 inches : 
then a cubit a handbreadth longer (see 
Eze. 40 : 5), or about 19 inches ; the Baby- 
lonian cubit after the captivity, about 21 
inches. The Greek cubit, and the Jewish 
cubit used in temple measurements, was 
about 18 to 19 inches. 

2 Webster's International Dictionary notes 
that a Roman mile equals 1000 paces = 
1614 English yards, or 4842 feet: but 
others make it equal to 1618 English 
yards, or 4854 feet, as in the table. It was 
equal to 8 Greek stadia, or furlongs. 

2. MEASURE OF CAPACITY (Dry). 

pks. pts. 

1| kab (cab)i = 1 omer,2 . . 5 

6 " 3i/^omers=lseah,3 1 1 
18 " 3 seah = 1 ephah,4 3 3 
180 " 10 ephahs=lho- 

mer5 or kor,^ .... 32 

1 2 Kings 6 : 25. 2 Ex. 16 : 16. 3 Matt. 13 : 
33. •* Ex. 16 : 36. 5 Lev. 27 : 16. 6 Eze. 45 : 
14. But Josephus gives the equivalent 
of the homer at about 10^ bushels, or 
43 pecks, while the rabbins give it at about 
5% bushels, or 21 pecks. 

3. MEASURE OF CAPACITY (Liquid). 

gals. qts. pts. 

1 log. Lev. 14 : 10, . . about 4 
4 logs = 1 cab (kab), . . " 3>^ 

3 kabs = l bin. Ex. 30:24, '* 5 

2 hins = l seah, ..." 10 

3 seahs •= 1 bath or ephah, 

1 Kings 7 : 26, . . . " 30 1 
10 ephahs = 1 kor or homer. 
Eze. 45 : 14, . . . . " 75 5 

4. WEIGHT (Troy). 

lbs. oz. grs. 
Igerah. Ex. 30:13, . . 12^^^ 

10 gerahs = 1 bekah. Ex. 38 : 

" ^^ 222 ' ' ' ' ' *^^^ 



2 bekahs = 1 shekel. Gen 

23:15. K 13 

60 shekels = 1 maneh. Eze. 

45 : 12 2 7 300 

60 manehs = Kiklcar (Heb. 

Kikkar. Ex. 25 : 29); or 

king's talent.i . . . 158 1 240 

1 There may have been a smaller talent 
of 50 manehs or minas, rather more than 
125 pounds. 

5. SILVER MONEY. 

{According to BisselVs Bib. Antiq.) 

cents. 

Igerah = 03.%% 

10 gerahs = 1 bekah, . . . .36>^ 

2 bekahs = 1 shekel, ... .73 

60 shekels = 1 maneh, . , 843,80 
50 manehs = 1 talent, . . $2190.00 

{According to Madden and Whitehouse. — Old 

Testament period.) 
1 shekel (holy shekel), ... .64 

50 shekels = 1 maneh or mina, . $32.00 
60 manehs or minas = 1 talent, . 1920.00 

6. GOLD MONEY (Troy oz.=$l9.47i%). 

According to BisselL 
1 shekel (gold), .... $5.35 

100 shekels = 1 maneh, . . 535.00 
100 manehs = 1 talent, . . 53,500.00 
{According to Madden and Whitehouse. — Old 
Testament period.) 

1 shekel, 89.60 

50 shekels = 1 maneh or mina, . 480.60 
60 manehs or minas = 1 talent, . 28,800.00 

7. ROMAN COPPER MONEY, 

{New Testament period, coins were :) 

1 lepton = 1 mite, . . . about 3^ ct. 

2 lepton s or mites^l quadrans, 

(the farthing of Matt. 5 : 26), " ]4 ct. 
4 quadrans = 1 as, (the far- 
thing of Matt. 10 : 29), . . " 1 ct. 
(The " as " of N. T. times was much re- 
duced from the earlier coin of that de- 
nomination.) 

e. SILVER GREEK AND ROMAN 
MONEY. 

{According to Madden and Whitehouse. — New 
Testament Period.) 

1 denarius = 1 "penny" (Matt. 22 : cents. 
16 ;) drachma^ or 16 ases, . about .16 

2 denarii or drachmas = didrach- 



ma,^ 



4 drachmas = stater 3 or shekel, . .64 

30 shekels (Attic) = 1 mina or 

pound, 819.10 

60 minas or shekels = 1 talent 

(Attic) 1,146.00 

1 Luke 15: 8. 2 Matt. 17: 24. 3 Matt. 17: 27. 
{According to BisselL) 

1 denarius "penny " = 1 drachma= .18/<, 

2 denarii = didrachma Q/2 shekel) = .36^ 
4 «» ^2 ai4r^cbmft (shekel) == ,73^ 



LIST OF OBSOLETE OR OBSCURE WORDS IN THE 
ENGLISH (A. V.) BIBLE. 

By the rev. EDWIN W. RICE, D.D. 



Abjects, Ps. 35 : 15— low, despised persons. 

Abomination, Deat. 7:26— idol; polluted 
thing. 

Addicted, 1 Cor. 16 : 15 — devoted ; given to. 

AfiFect, Gal. 4 : 17— seek to win. 

Aha, Ps. 35 : 21— "hurrah." 

Albeit, Eze. 13 : 7— although it be. 

Allow, Luke 11 : 48 — to praise ; to approve. 

All to brake, Judg. 9 : 53— brake to pieces. 

Amerce, Deut. 22 : 19— punish by fire. 

Ancients, Isa. 47 : 6 — aged persons. 

Anon, Matt. 13 : 20 — quickly at once. 

Apothecary, Ex. 30:25 — not a druggist, 
but " a maker of perfumes." 

Artillery, 1 Sam. 20: 40 — bows; arrows; sling. 

Astonied, Job 17 : 8 — astonished. 

At one, Acts 7 : 26 — in concord, or agree- 
ment. 

Attent, 2 Chron. 6 : 40— attentive. 

Avoid, 1 Sam. 18 : 11 — to withdraw. 

Away with, Isa. 1 : 13 — bear or endure. 

Barbarian, 1 Cor. 14 : 11 — foreigner ; not a 
Greek. 

Beeves, Lev. 22 : 21— (plural of beef) oxen ; 
cows. 

Bestead, Isa. 8 : 21 — placed. 

Bewray, Matt. 26 : 73— expose ; betmy. 

Blains, Ex. 9 : 9 — blisters ; pimples. 

Boiled, Ex. 9 : 31— gone to seed. 

Bosses, Job 15 : 26— stud ; knob : buckle. 

Botch, Deut. 28 : 27— swelling ; boil. 

Bravery, Isa. 3 : 18 — fine dress ; showy. 

Bray, Prov. 27 : 22 — to beat ; pound. 

Brigandine, Jer. 46 : 4 — coat of armor. 

Bruit, Jer. 10 : 22 — report,* fame. 

By, 1 Cor. 4 : 4 — against. 

By and by. Matt. 13 : 21 — at once ; immedi- 
ately. 

Calker, Eze, 27 : 9 — one who stops leaks of 
a ship. 

Camphire, Song of Sol. 1 : 14 — refers to 
cypress, or to " henna-flowers." 

Careful, Phil. 4 : 6 — anxious. 

Carriage, 1 Sam.l7 : 22. — ^baggage ; what is 
carried. 

Caul, Isa. 3 : 18— network for the head. 

Champaign, Deut. 11 : 30 — level place. 

Chapiter, Ex. 36 : 38 — capital of a pillar. 

Chapmen, 2 Chron. 9 : 14 — traders ; mer- 
chants. 

Chapt, Jer. 14 : 4 — cracked open. 

Charger, Matt. 14 : 8 — large dish. 

Charges, to be at, Acts 21 : 24 — to pay ex- 
penses. 

Charity, 1 Cor. 13 — ^love to God and man. 

Clouted, Josh, 9 : 5 — patched. 

Cockle, Job 31 : 40 — refers to wee^ in grain. 

Collops, Job 15 : 27— slices of fat. 

College, 2 Kings 22 : 14— refers to " second 
ward," or port. 

Comfort, 1 Thess. 4: 18 — to strengthen. 

Compass, Acts 28 . 13— to make a circuit ; 
surround. 

Concision, Phil. 3 : 2— cutting oflF. 

Confection, Ex. 30 : 35 — compound of vari- 
ous things. 

Conscience, Heb. 10 : 2 — to have sense of. 

Convenient, Acts 24 1 25— Seasonable ; be- 
coming. 



Conversation — (never means "speech" in 

Scripture) but, (1) Phil. 1 : 27— behavior; 

(2) Phil. 3 : 20— citizenship ; (3) Heb. 13: 

6— disposition. 
Countervail, Esther 7 : 4 — to compensate. 
Cracknels, 1 Kings 14 : 3 — brittle cakes. 
Crisping pins, Isa. 3 : 22— irons for curling 

the hair. 
Cumber, Luke 10 : 40— to burden uselessly. 
Curious arts, Acts 19 : 19— magic. 
Damnation, 1 Cor. 11: 29 — condemnation. 
Daysman, Job 9 : 33 — umpire ; arbiter. 
Deal, Ex. 29 : 40 — portion, or part. 
Delicates, Jer. 51 : 34 — choice dainties. 
Deputy, 1 Kings 22 ; 47 — deputed to rule. 
Disposition, Acts 7 : 53 — ordering. 
Dote, Jer. 50 : 36 — ^become foolish. 
Do you to wit, 2 Cor. 8 : 1 — make you to 

know. 
Draught, Matt. 15 : 17 — drain. 
Draught house, 2 Kings 10 : 27— cesspool. 
Ear, to, Isa. 30 : 24— to plow. 
Earing, Grcn. 45 : 6 — plowing. 
Earnest, 2 Cor. 1 : 22 — a pledge or token of 

what is to come. 
Emerods, 1 Sam, 5 : 6 — ^hemorrhoids ; piles. 
Enlarge, 2 Sam. 22 : 37 — make free. 
Ensample, 1 Cor. 10 : 11 — example. 
Ensue, 1 Pet. 3 : 11 — to follow and overtake. 
Eschew, 1 Pet. 3: 11 — shun ; flee from. 
Exchangers, Matt. 25:27 — bankers; brokers. 
Exorcists, Acts 19 : 13 — one who pretends 

to cast out evil spirits by magic. 
Eyeservice, Eph. 6 : 6— work done when 

watched. 
Fain, Luke 15 : 16 — glad ; gladly. 
Fats, Joel 2 : 24— vats. 
Fenced, Num. 32 : 17— walled (cities). 
Flood, Josh, 24 : 3 — Euphrates river. 
Fray, Deut. 28 : 26 — scare ; frighten. 
Fritting, Lev. 13 : 51 — corroding ; eating as 

a moth. 
Gainsay, Luke 21 : 15 — disprove ; contradict. 
Garner, Matt. 3 : 12 — storehouse for grain. 
Gin, Amos 3 : 5 — ^trap or snare. 
Glistering, Luke 9 : 29 — sparkling ; glit- 
tering. 
Greaves, 1 Sam, 17 : 6 — armor-plates for legs. 
Grudge, Jas. 5 : 9 — grumble. 
Habergeon, Job 41 : 26 — coat-of-mail. 
Haft, Judg, 3: 22 — handle of knife ; dagger. 
Hale, Luke 12 : 58 — forcibly drag. 
Halt, Luke 14 : 21 — lame ; crippled. 
Harness, 1 Kings 22 : 34 — ^body-armor of a 

soldier, 
Hoised, Acts 27 : 40— hoisted. 
Hold, Judg. 9 : 46 — stronghold ; prison. 
Honest, Rom. 12: 17 — honorable. 
Hosen, Dan. 3 : 21 — trowsers and stockings 

in one piece. 
Hough, Josh, 11 : 6 — to hamstring. 
Instant, Rom. 12 : 12 — pressing; urgent. 
Instantly, Acts 26 : 7 — earnestly ; at once. 
Jeopard, Judg. 5 : 18 — hazard, or risk of life. 
Kerchief, Eze.l3 : 21— covering for the head. 
Kine, 1 Sam. 6 : 7 — cows; milch-kine =« 

milking-cows. 
Knop, Ex, 25:33 — knob; a bud-shaped 

cajrvjng, 

223 



OBSOLETE WORDS. 



Leasing, Ps. 4 : 2 — lying ; falsehood. 

Let, 2 Thess. 2 : 7 — hinder ; prevent. 

Lewdness, Acts 18 : 14 — wickedness ; crime. 

Libertine, Acts 6 : 9 — child of a freed slave. 

Listeth, John 3 : 8— desireth ; wills ; choos- 
eth ; like 

Lust, Ex. 15 : 9 — desire of any kind. 

Lusty, Judg. 3 : 29— healthy ; vigorous ; 
strong. 

Magnifical, 1 Chron. 22 : 5— grand; magnifi- 
cent. 

Marishes, Eze. 47 : 11— marshes; swampy 
ground. ' 

Maw, Deut. 18 : 8 — stomach. 

Meat, Gen. 1 : 29 — any kind of food. 

Meet, Matt. 3: 8 — suitable ; fitting. 

Mete, Matt. 7 : 2 — ^measure. 

Meteyard, Lev. 19 : 35 — measuring-rod; 
yard measure. 

Mincing, Isa. 3 : 16 — walking with short 
steps. 

Minish, Ex. 5 : 19 — diminish; lessen. 

Minister, Luke 4: 20 — attendant ; helper. 

Munition, Nah. 2:1 — fortifications; ram- 
parts. 

Murrain, Ex. 9 : 3 — cattle-plague. 

Naught, Prov. 20 : 14 — bad ; worthless. 

Neesings, Job 41 : 18 — old form of "sneez- 
ing." 

Nephew, 1 Tim. 5 : 4 — grandchild. 

Nether, Deut. 24 :6 — lower. 

Noisome, Ps. 91 : 3— noxious ; hurtful. 

Occupy, Luke 19 : 13 — trade with. 

Offence, Eom. 9 : 33 — that against which 
one stumbles. 

OflFend, Matt. 18 : 9 — stumble against ; cause 
to stumble. 

Or ever, Dan. 6 : 24 — ^before. 

Ouches, Ex. 28 : 11— sockets (of gold or 
silver). 

Outlandish, Neh. 13 : 26 — foreign ; strange. 

Painful, Ps. 73 : 16— hard to do. 

Painfulness, 2 Cor. 11 : 27 — painstaking. 

Peeled, Isa. 18 : 2, 7 — robbed ; plundered. 

Pilled, Gen. 30 : 37, 38— peel ; strip off bark. 

Poll, to, 2 Sam. 14 : 26 — lop ; cut off, esp. hair. 

Pommel, 2 Chron. 4 : 12 — globes; apple- 
shaped. 

Potsherd, Ps. 22: 15 — fragment of broken 
pottery. 

Pressfat, Hag. 2 : 16 — vat to receive grape- 
juice from the winepress. 

Prevent, 1 Thess. 4 : 15 — come before ; 
precede. 

Proper, Heb. 11 : 23 — fair ; handsome. 

Provoke, 2 Cor. 9 : 2 — stimulate ; challenge 
to action. 

Publican, Luke 5:27 — collector of public 
revenue. 

Quick, Ps. 124 : 3 — ^living ; lively. 

Quicken, Ps. 71 : 20 — make alive. 

Quit, 1 Cor. 16 : 13 — acquit ; act. 

Eavening, Luke 11 : 39 — greediness ; ra- 
pacity. 

Ravin, raven, Gen. 49 : 27 — plunder ; cap- 
ture ; spoil. 

Eeins, Ps. 7 : 9 — kidneys, hence emotions ; 
affections. 

Eereward, Isa. 52 : 12 ; 58 : 8 — rear-guard. 

Eingstraked, Gen. 30 : 35 — marked with 
circular bands or rings. 

Savour. Matt. 16:23 — taste; relish; relish 
in mind. 
224 



Scrabbled, 1 Sam. 21 : 13 — scrawled ; made 
unmeaning marks. 

Scrip, Luke 22 : 36 — small bag or wallet. 

Seethe, Ex. 16 : 23— boil ; perf. " sod," part. 
" sodden." 

Servitor, 2 Kgs. 4 : 43 — servant or attendant. 

Sherd, Isa. 30 : 14 — fragment; shred, as of 
pottery. 

Shroud, Eze. 31 : 3 — shelter ; covering, as 
of a tree. 

Silverling, Isa. 7 : 23 — small silver coin. 

Sith, Eze. 35 : 6 — since ; forasmuch as. 

Sod, sodden, Ex. 12:9— boiled; from the 
verb "seethe." 

Sojourn, Gen. 12 : 10 — to dwell temporarily. 

Sometimes, Eph. 2 : 13^once ; formerly. 

Speed, Gen. 24 : 12 — suhst. success. 

Steads, 1 Chron. 5 : 22 — (Sax. stede) places. 

Straightway, Luke 5 : 39 — ^immediately ; at 
once. 

Strain at. Matt. 23 : 24 — as in swallowing, 
(probably a misprint for "strain out.") 

Straitly, Mark 1 : 4 — strictly; closely, 

Straitness, Jer. 19 : 9— scarcity of food ; 
famine. 

Strake, Gen. 30 : 37 — a streak. 

Strake, Acts 27: 17 — past tense of the verb 
to " strike." 

Strawed, Matt. 21 : 8— strewed or scattered. 

Sundry, Heb. 1 : 1 — several; various. 

Tabering, Nah. 2 : 7 — beating, as on a ta- 
ber-drum. 

Taches, Ex. 26 : 6 — catches or clasps ; any 
fastening. 

Tale, Ex. 5 : 8, 18— reckoning ; appointed 
number. 

Target, 1 Sam. 17 : 6— light shield ; buckler. 

Temperance, Gal. 5:23 — moderation; se- 
dateness; self-control. 

Tempt, Gen. 22 : 1— test ; try. 

Thought, Matt. 6: 25 — worry; anxious care. 

Tired, 2 Kings 9 : 30 ; Isa. 3 : 18— adorned, 
as the head. 

Trow, Luke 17 : 9 — think; imagine; sup- 
pose. 

Turtle, Sol. Song 2 : 12— a dove ; the turtle- 
dove. 

T^^ain, Isa. 6 : 2 — two. 

Undergird, Acts 27 : 17 — pass ropes round 
hull of a ship. 

Undersetter, 1 Kings 7 : 30, 34 — ^prop ; sup- 
port. 

Vile, Jas. 2 : 2 — plain ; poor. 

Ware, Acts 14 : 6 — aware ; to know. 

Wax, Luke 1 : 80 — grow or become. 

Wench, 2 Sam. 17 : 17 — maid-servant. 

Whit, 2 Cor. 11 : 5— (Sax. wihi) a bit ; atom. 

Wimple, Isa. 3 : 22 — veil ; covering of head 
and neck. 

Winefat — wine vat. 

Wist, Mark 14 : 40 — (Sax. wiste) knew. 

Wit, to, 2 Cor. 8 : 1 — (Sax. witan) to know. 

Withs, Judg. 16 : 7 — young twigs of a wil- 
low ; osier. 

Withal, Acts 25 : 27 — with the same ; there- 
with. 

Wittingly, Gen. 48 : 14 — intentionally ; 
knowingly. 

Woe worth, Eze. 30 : 2 — woe be or become. 

Wont, Matt. 27 : 15 — accustomed. 

Wot, Gen. 39 : 8 ; Ex; 32 : 1— know. 

Wreatben. Ex. 28 : 14— twisted ; turned; 
" wreatben work." 



CONCISE CH]BONOLOGICAL TABLE OP BIBLE HISTORY. 

Compiled by REV. EDWIN W. RICE, D.D. 



Note.— Most of the dates in Bible History, before the dedication of Solomon's temple, 
are very uncertain. There are two chief systems of chronology : one based upon the 
Hebrew text of the Old Testament, and the other upon the Septuagint, or Greek text, 
and called the "short" and the "long" chronology. The dates in the margin of our 
English Bibles were computed by Archbishop Ussher (born 1580, died 1656), and based 
on the Hebrew or short chronology. Hales made a similar computation, based on the 
Greek text. The Septuagint text appears to make the patriarchal period 1466 years 
longer than the computations based on the Hebrew text. The following table shows 
the different dates according to Ussher and to Hales : 

B.C. Events. 

536 First return of Jews— Zerub- 
babel. 
516-5 Second temple completed. 

478 Esther made queen by Xerxes I. 

457 Return of Jews (second com- 
pany) with Ezra. 

444 Nehemiah appointed governor. 
Malachi, prophet. 

432 Nehemian again governor at 
Jerusalem. 

425 DeathofArtaxerxes, Xerxes II. 
(2 months). 
Sogdianus, his half brother 
(7 months). 

424 Darius II. (Nothus, king).»^ 

End of Old Testament history. 

CHRONOLOGY BETWEEN THE OLD 
AND NEW TESTAMENTS. 

405 Artaxerxes II. (Mnemon). 

359 Artaxerxes III. (Ochus) 
351-331 Jaddua high priest at J. 

339 Arses (king). 

336 Darius III. (Codomannus). 

332 Alexander the Great. 

323 Alexander's death. 

320 Palestine under Ptolemy Soter. 

314 " " Antigonus. 

811 (Era of the Seleucidse!) 

301 Palestine under Ptolemies. 

280 Hebrew 0. T. translated into 
Greek about this time. 

205 Palestine under Ailtiochus. 

170 Temple plundered by Antio- 
chus Epiphanes. 

167 Mattathias, the Jewish patriot; 
father of the Maccabseans. 

165 Judas Maccabseus recovers Je- 
rusalem. 

141 Simon Maccabaeus frees the 
Jews. 

63 Pompey conquers Judsea. 

64 Temple plundered by Crassus. 
47 Antipater made governor of 

Judaea by Caesar. 
40 Parthians capture Jerusalem. 
37 Herod retakes Jerusalem. 
17 Herod begins to rebuild the 

temple. 
5 Birth of Christ. (The common 
Christian era was fixed four 
years too late.) 

225 









«r« 






S3 


d w "^ 


Events. 








B.C. 


B.C. 




4004 


5411 


Adam. 


3874 


5181 


Birth of Seth. 


3382 


4289 


" " Enoch. 


3317 


4124 


•• " Methuselah. 


2948 


3755 


" " Noah. 


2348 


3155 


The Flood, 


2233 


2554 


Confusion of tongues. 


2155 


2362 


Birth of Nahor. 


2126 


2283 


" " Terah. 


1996 


2153 


" " Abram. 


1896 


2053 


" " Isaac. 


1836 


1993 


" " Jacob. 


1706 


1863 


Jacob moves to Egypt. 


1571 


1728 


Birth of Moses. 


1491 


1648 


The ExoDus.i 


1451 


1608 


Canaan entered. 



PThe best authorities now agree that 
The Exodus cannot be placed earlier 
than about 1320 B.C. The time thus ap- 
parently lost is regained by shortening 
the period of the Judges, as many of the 
judges ruled in different parts of Canaan 
at the same time. 

The bondage in Egypt was about 400 
years, according to Acts 7:6; or about 430 
years from Abraham or Jacob to the giv- 
ing of the law, according to Gal. 3 : 17. 
The latest conclusions from Egyptian and 
Assyrian records are in substantial accord 
with these passages.] 



B.C. 



Events. 



1280 Settlement in Canaan under 
Joshua. 
1258-1095 The Judges— to Samuel and 
Saul. 
1095 Saul. 
1055 David. 

1007 Solomon's Temple. (For table of 
kings of Judah and Israel, and 
of prophets, see next page.) 
722-721 Fall of Samaria. 

606 Assyrian captivity began. 
588-7 Jerusalem destroyed. 



TABLE OF KINGS AND PROPHETS IN ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 


(the 


DATES APPLY TO THE KINGS.) 


IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. 


Prophets. 


B.C. 


Kings. 


Time of Keign. 


Samuel. 


1095 


Saul, 


Reigned 40 years. 


Gad. 


1055 


David, .... 


Reigned 40 years. 


Nathan. 


1015 


Solomon, .... 


Reigned 40 years. 


IN THE DIVIDED KINGDOM. 


JUDAH. 


ISRAEL. 


w 








S5 




W 03 






Kings. 


2^ 


Prophets. 




Kings. 




Prophets. 


ca" 








PQ 








975 


Rehoboam, . . 


17 


Shemaiah. 


975 


Jeroboam, . . 


22 


Ahijah. 


958 


Abijah, . . . 


3 


Iddo. 










955 


Asa, .... 


41 


Oded. 
















Azariah. 


954 


Nadab, . . . 


2 










Hanani. 


953 
930 
929 
929 


Baasha, . . . 
Elah, .... 
Zimri, . . . 
Omri, .... 


24 
2 

7dys. 
12 












918 


Ahab, . . . . 


22 


Elijah. 


914 


Jehoshaphat, . 


25 


Jehu. 








Micaiah. 










898 


Ahaziah, . . 


2 


Elisha. 








Jahaziel. 


896 


Joram, . . . 


12 




892 


Jehoram, . . 


8 


Eliezer. 










885 


Ahaziah, . . 


1 












884 


Athaliah, . . 


6 




884 


Jehu, .... 


28 




878 


Jehoash, . . 


40 


















Zechariah, 


856 


Jehoahaz, . . 


17 


Jonah. [?] 








son of Je- 


841 


Joash, . . . 


16 




839 


Amaziah, . . 


29 


hoiada. 


825 


Jeroboam II., . 


41 


Hosea. 


810 


Uzziah, . . . 


52 


Zechariah, 








Amos. 








2Chr.26:5. 


784 
773 
772 
772 
761 
759 


Interregnum, . 
Zachariah, . . 
Shallum, . . 
Menahem, . . 
Pekahiah, . . 
Pekah, . . . 


11 
6 mo. 
Imo. 

10 
2 

20 




758 


Jotham, . . . 


16 


Isaiah. 










742 


Ahaz 


16 


Micah. 


















739 


Anarchy, . . 


9 


Oded. 










730 


Hoshea, . . . 


9 




726 


Hezekiah, . . 


29 


Nahum. 


721 


The kingdom 






698 


Manasseh, . . 


55 


Joel. 




of Israel over- 






643 


Amon, . . . 


2 






thrown by the 






641 


Josiah, . . . 


31 


Jeremiah. 




Assyrians and 






610 


Jehoahaz, . . 


3 mos. 


Habakkuk. 




Samaria de- 






610 


Jehoiakim, . . 


11 


Zephaniah. 




stroyed. 






599 


Jehoiachin, . 


100 days. 


Ezekiel. 
DanieL 






599 


Zedekiah, . . 


11 


Obadiah. [?] 




Persian Kings, after 


588 


Jerusalem de- 
stroyed. 

Governors after 
the Captivity. 








the Captivity. 

536 First year of Cyrus. 
529 Cambyses. 
521 Darius Hystaspes. 
486 Xerxes I. 


536 


Zerubbabel, . 




Haggai. 
Zechariah. 




478 Esther Queen. 


457 


Ezra, .... 






465 Artaxerxes-Longimanus. 


445 


Nehemiah, . . 




Malachi. 




424 Darius Nothus. 


Contemporary with Rehohoam was Sesonchis of the 22d dynasty in Egypt ; with 


Jehoshaphat, Mesha king of Moab, and Eth-baal king of Tyre : and with Athaliah, 
Dido, who founded Carthage. During Uzziah's long reign the First Olympiad takes 


its rise; and Rome was founded (753) in the reign of Jotham. 


226 



CHEONOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 



B.C. 
5 

4 (April) 



8 

27 
28 



29 



30 

April 1 

" 2 
" 6 
" 7 
" 9 
May 18 
37 



Birth of Jesus. 
Death of Herod. 

[For Events in Life of Christ, 
see Jesus Christ, p. 124.] 
Jesus among the doctors. 
Baptism of Jesus. 
Ministry in Judaea and Galilee. 
Sermon on the mount. 
Baptist beheaded. 
Five thousand fed. 
Tour to borders of Tyre and 

Sidon. 
The transfiguration. 
Feast of dedication. 
Part of Peraean ministry. 
Lazarus raised to life. 
Persean ministry. 
Supper at Bethany. 
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 
Last supper and Gethsemane. 
Crucifixion. 
Resurrection of Jesus. 
Ascension of Jesus. 
Death of Stephen. 
Conversion of Saul. 



B.C. 

40 Saul's escape from Jerusalem. 
[For table, see Paul, p. 173.] 

44 James of Zebedee beheaded. 

45 Paul's first missionary tour, 
61 Paul's second missionary tour. 

53 Epistles to Thessalonians, from 

Corinth. 

54 Paul's third missionary tour. 
56-8 Epistles to the Galatians, Corin- 

thians, and Romans. 
58 Paul before Felix. 

60 Paul sent to Rome. 

61 Paul arrives at Rome. 
Epistle of James (?). 

61-63 Epistles to Ephesians, Colossians, 
Philemon, and Philippians. 
63 Paul supposed to be set free. 
64-67 Epistles to Hebrews, Isi and 2d 
Peter, Jude, Ist and 2d Timothy, 
and Titus. 
67 Paul's martyrdom (?). 
70 Jerusalem destroyed by Titus. 
80-95 John's Gospel. 
65-95 Revelation of St. John. 
98-100 Death of John. 



NAMES, TITLES AND OFFICES OF CHKIST. 



Advocaie, 1 John 2 : 1. Almighty, Rev. 1 : 8. 

Alpha and Omega, Rev. 1:8; 22 : 13. 

Am£n, Rev. 3 : 14. 

Anointed, Ps. 2 : 2 ; Acts 4 : 26. 

Apostle, Heb. 3 : 1. 

Author and Finisher of our faith, Heb. 12 : 2. 

Beginning of the creation of God, Rev. 3 : 14. 

Beloved Son, Matt. 17 : 5. 

Blessed and only Potentate, 1 Tim. 6 : 15. 

Branch, Zech. 3 : 8 ; 6 : 12. 

Bread of life, John 6 : 35. 

Bridegroom, Matt. 9 : 15. 

Captain of salvation, Heb. 2 : 10. 

Corner-stone, 1 Pet. 2 : 6. 

David, Jer. 30 : 9 ; Eze. 34 : 23 ; Hos. 3 : 5. 

Day-spring, Lk. 1 : 78. Day-star, 2 Pet. 1:19. 

Deliverer, Rom. 11 : 26. 

Desire of all nations, Hag. 2 : 7. 

Emmanuel, Isa. 7 : 14 ; Matt. 1 : 23. 

Everlasting Father, Isa. 9 : 6. 

Faithful Witness, Rev. 1:5; 3 : 14. 

First and Last, Rev. 1 : 17. 

First begotten of the dead. Rev. 1 : 5. 

God, Isa. 40 : 9 ; John 20 : 28 ; 1 John 5 : 20. 

Good Shepherd, John 10 : 11. 

Governor, Matt. 2 : 6. 

Great High Priest, Heb. 4 : 14. 

Holy One, Luke 4 : 34 ; Acts 3 : 14 ; Rev. 3: 7. 

Horn of salvation, Luke 1 : 69. 

I AM, Ex. 3 : 14, with John 8 : 58. 

Image of God, 2 Cor. 4 : 4. 

Intercessor, Heb. 7 : 25. Jehovah, Isa. 26 : 4. 

Jesus, Matt. 1 : 21 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 10. 

Judge, Acts 17 : 31. 

King, everlasting, Luke 1 : 33. 

King of kings. Rev. 17 : 14 ; 19 : 16, 

Lamb of God, John 1 : 29, 36. 

Lawgiver, James 4 : 12. 

Light of the world, John 8 : 12. 

lAght, 2Wf€, John 1:8,9; 3:19;8:12; 9:5. 

LUm of the tribe of Judah, Rev. 5 : 5. 

Living bread, John 6 : 31. 

Living stone, 1 Pet. 2 : 4. 



Lord, Matt. 3:3; Mark 11 1 3. 

Lord God, Rev. 15 : 3 ; 22 : 6. 

Lord of all. Acts 10 : 36 ; of glory, 1 Cor. 2 : 8. 

Lord of lords, Rev. 17 : 14 ; 19 : 16. 

Lord our righteousness, Jer. 23 : 6. 

Maker and Preserver of all things, John 1 : 3, 

10; Col.l: 16; Heb.l:2,10; Rev.4:ll. 
Mediator, 1 Tim. 2 : 5. 
Mediator of the new covenant, Heb. 12 : 24. 
Messiah, Dan. 9 : 25 ; John 1 : 41. 
Mighty One of Jacob, Isa. 60 : 16. 
Morning star. Rev. 22 : 16. 
Nazarene, Matt. 2 : 23. 
Our Passover, 1 Cor. 5 : 7. 
Priest, High, Heb. 3 : 1. 
Prince, Acts 5 31. Prince of life, Acts 3 : 15. 
Prince of peace, Isa. 9 : 6. 
Prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. 1 : 5. 
Prophet, Deut. 18 : 15 ; Luke 24 : 19. 
Redeemer, Job 19 : 25 ; Isa. 59 : 20. 
Resurrection and life, John 11 : 25. 
Rock, 1 Cor. 10 : 4. 

Root and offspring of David, Rev. 22 : 16. 
Root of David, Rey. 5 : 5. 
Ruler of Israel, Micah 5 : 2. 
Same yesterday, to-day, etc., Heb. 13 : 8. 
Saviour, Luke 2:11; Acts 5:31, 
Shepherd and Bishop of souls, 1 Pet, 2 ; 25. 
Shepherd in the land, Zech. \\:\&. 
Shepherd of the sheep. Great, Heb. 13 : 20. 
Shiloh, Gen. 49 : 10. 
Son of David, Matt. 9 : 27 ; 21 : 9. 
Son of God, Luke 1 : 35 ; Matt. 3 : 17 ; 8 : 29. 
Son of man. Matt. 8 : 20 ; John 1 ; 51. 
Son of the Highest, Luke 1 : 32. 
Son, Only-begotten, John 1 : 14, 18 ; 3 : 16, 18. 
Sun of righteousness, Mai. 4 : 2. 
Tru^ Vine, John 15 : 1. 
Way, Truth, and Life, John 14 : 6. 
Witness, Faithful and true. Rev. 3 : 14, 
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Isa. 9 : 6. 
Word, John 1 : 1. 
Word of God, Rev. 19 : 18. 

227 



JOmtNEYlKGS OIP ISHaEL PHOM EGYpT TO CAi^AAN. 

By rev. EDWIN W. RICE, D.D. 

Stations. Modern names. Events. Recorded in. 

1. Rameses, Tel el Kebir {?), . Starting for Canaan, . Num. 33: 3,5. 

2. Succoth or Pithom, . Tel el Maskhuta, . First camping-place, . Ex. 12 : 37. 

3. Etham, Wady Tumeilai, . Pillar of fire and cloud, Ex. 13 : 20. 

4. Pi-hahiroth, .... Near Ismaileh, . . Pursued by Pharaoh, . Ex. 14 : 29. 

5. Red Sea (crossed) Egyptians drowned, . . Ex. 14:21-31. 

6. Marah, Ain Howarah {?), . Bitter water made sweet, Ex. 15:23. 

7. Elim, Wady Gharandel, . 12 wells of water, . . . Ex. 15 : 27. 

8. By Red Sea (east side), 'Near Wady Feiran, Num. 33:10. 

9. Wilderness of Sin, . . el Markka, . . . Quails and manna, . . Ex. 16 : 1-36. 

10. Dophkah, In Wady Feiran Num. 33 : 12. 

11. Alush, In Wady Feiran, Num. 33:13. 

12. Rephidira (Massah and "I Tn Tr/,/7,, Ei,,-^«^ f Water from a rock, . .Ix-^ 17.11c 

Meribah), . . . . j ^^ ^^2^ '^^^'^«'^' • j Battle with Amelek, . . | Ex. 17 : 1-16. 

13. Sinai Ras-sufsafeh, . . The law given, .... Ex. 19 to 40. 

14. Taberah ("burning"), Slain by fire, .... Num. 11:3. 

15. Eabroth-hattavah ("graves of lusting"), . Smitten with plague, . Num. 11 : 30-34. 

16. Hazeroth (Rithmah), . Ain Hudhera, . . Leprosy of Miriam, . . Num. 12:1-16. 

17. Wilderness Paran, . . et Tih, Num. 12:16. 

18. Kadesh Barnea, . . . Ain Qadis (?), . . 12 spies sent, . .... Num. 13 to 19. 

19. Forty years' wandering, f People rebel; 14,700 die; 

ii7. xuii.jr j,t.a,io irauvicixug, \ Korah aud his compauy slaiu. 

[The unbelief of the Israelites causes Jehovah to condemn them to wander for forty years 
in the wilderness. During this period they had their head-quarters or encampments at the 
following seventeen places, and then reassembled at Kadesh for a final departure from the 
wilderness to enter Canaan.] 

20. Rimmon-perez, . . . Probably ei Tih, Num. 33 : 19. 

21.Libnah, FTohablj el Beyaneh, Num. 33:20. 

22. Rissah, Easa, Num. 33 : 21. 

23. Kehelathah, ....(?) Num. 33 : 22. 

24. Mt. Shepher, .... Jebel SIteraph, Num. 33 : 23. 

25. Haradah, Aradeh, Num. 33 : 24. 

26. Makheloth, (?) Num. 33 : 25. 

27. Tahath, Fit hi (?) Num. 33 : 26. 

28. Terah, (?) Num. 33 : 27. 

29. Mithkah (?) Num. 33:28. 

30. Hashmonah, .... Heshmon (?) Ain Hoch, Num. 33 : 29. 

31. Moseroth, West of Arabah, . . Num. 33:30. 

32. Bene-jaakan, ....(?) Num. 33:31. 

33. Hor-hagidgad, ...(?) Num. 33:32. 

34. Jotbathah, Wady Tabah H), Num. 33 : 33, 34 ; Deut. 10 : 7. 

35. Ebronah, On Elanitic Gulf, Num. 33 : 34. 

36. Ezion-geber, .... Head of Elanitic Gulf, Num. 33 : 35. 

37. Kadesh (Wilderness of 1 ^.„/^„j. /o\ f Miriam dies; waterfromi Num.20: 1-13; 

Zin), ^AznQadtsi?), . .{rock, Meribah, . ...| 33:36. 

38. Mt. Hor, (?) Aaron dies. Num. 20 : 23-29 ; Deut. 33 : 50, 

39. Zalmonah, Alem^maan (?), . Fiery serpents, . . Num. 21 : 7 ; 33 : 41. 

40. Punon, Anezeh (?), Num. 33 : 42. 

41. Oboth, el-Alsa, Num. 21 : 11 ; 33 : 43, 44. 

42. Ije-abarim, Ekst of Moab, Num. 21 : 11 ; 33 : 45. 

43. Dibon-gad (in Zared), . Dhihan, Num-. 33 : 45. 

44. Almon-diblathaim, . . (?) Amorites defeated, Num. 21 : 13 ; 33 : 46. 

45. Nebo, Mts. of Moab, Num. 33 : 47. 

46. Plains of Moab, . . . Valley of Jordan. Balaam's prophecy, , . Num. 22 to 24. 

47. Shittim, Valley of Jordan. 24,000 die of plague, . . Num. 25 : 9. 

("People numbered; law repeated;") >t,,_ ocfnofi. 

48. Moab, Plains of, ■{ Reuben and Gad's land east of Jor- V g"™" {\rJ^ ' 

l^dan ; Moses dies; Joshua, leader,) 

49. Jordan (crossed), . , Near Jericho, . . Waters divided, . . . Josh. 3 : 1-17. 

50. Gilgal, Near Jericho, . . Circumcision renewed, . Josh. 5 : 2-9. 

51. Jericho, Fall of, Rahab saved Josh. 6 : 1-27. 

52. Ai, Defeat at, Achan's sin Josh. 7 : 1-26. 

53. Ai taken, 12,000 slain, Josh. 8 : 1-29. 

KA c!v^^i,«»v, f Altar built; law read; blessings and) -r-„t o.^m-v: 

54.Shechem, j cursings from Ebal and Gerizim, . . j Josh. 8 . 30-35. 

55. Gilgal, Return to, [Gibeonites craft and punishment. Josh. 9:1-27. 

56. Gibeon rescued, . . . f Sun and moon stand still; five kings slain. Josh. 10 : 1-27. 

57. Makkedah, Libnah and Lachish destroyed, Josh. 10: 28, 29, 33. 

58. Eglon, Hebron, and Debir taken, Josh. 10 : 34-40. 

59. Gilgal, Return again to, [Southern Canaan conquered. Josh. 10: 40-43. 

60. Merom, [Great battle; northern Canaan conquer«»d. Josh. 11 : 1-23. 

61. Shiloh, [Tabernacle set up ; land divided and settled, Josh. 12 to 18, 

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